{"id":114509,"date":"2022-02-03T01:20:50","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T07:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/?p=114509"},"modified":"2024-12-19T15:40:52","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:40:52","slug":"the-model-minority-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/from-the-magazine\/the-model-minority-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Model Minority Myth"},"content":{"rendered":"

As COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 ushered in an era of fear, confusion, and uncertainty, a second deadly virus was born. It began with references to the outbreak as \u201cThe Chinese Virus\u201d and soon escalated into a full-scale tragedy. An elderly Thai man was shoved to his death on the unforgiving sidewalk while taking his morning walk. An 89-year-old Chinese woman was attacked and set on fire outside her home. An Asian American family was berated with racist slurs while trying to enjoy a birthday dinner at a restaurant. The lives of six Asian women were cut short in a vicious shooting spree across three spas and massage parlors in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have collectively been subjected to continuous stories of unprompted, drastic attacks targeting people in their communities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. These incidents have thrust their struggles into the spotlight to a level unseen in recent memory. While these outward acts of hate have had an undeniably devastating effect on the AAPI community, they are only a part of the larger picture when it comes to AAPI mental health.<\/p>\n

Some other threats are far quieter, but no less deadly. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that although suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States overall, it is the leading cause of death for AAPI youth ages 15-24.<\/p>\n

AAPI individuals have the lowest help-seeking rate of any racial or ethnic group, with only 23.3% of AAPI adults with mental illness receiving treatment in 2019 according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Though the reasons why are complex, one commonality is that AAPI people don\u2019t feel their needs are recognized or understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recently asked a client how they had found me. The answer was through an Asian therapist directory,\u201d says David Songco, Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology alumnus of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and licensed clinical psychologist. \u201cIt was important to them that they work with an Asian therapist because they were being negatively affected by the tragedies happening during COVID-19 and the rise of anti-Asian hate. They believed that I would be more understanding of their experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help break the toxic cycles perpetuating these tragedies, the mental health care community needs a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges AAPI people face in the U.S. today.<\/p>\n

Sharing the pain of racism and vicarious trauma<\/h3>\n

\u201cOne thing we find in the literature is that when other racial minorities see racially motivated violence on TV, or through YouTube, or social media, even though they are not there as the direct victims of the violence, they have an automatic and oftentimes significant psychological reaction, which is known as vicarious trauma. The same thing is happening with the Asian community,\u201d says Bina Parekh, Ph.D., associate chair of The Chicago School\u2019s Department of Clinical Psychology at the Anaheim Campus.<\/p>\n

Vicarious trauma is the indirect exposure to a traumatic event through a firsthand account or narrative of that event that results from what is known as vicarious traumatization. Commonly found in the helping professions, it can also affect greater communities when combined with collective trauma\u2014the psychological reactions to a traumatic event that affect an entire society. When individuals witness racially motivated violence against people of their same race, they may become traumatized due to the combination of mourning and fear of further violence.<\/p>\n

Dr. Songco speaks to his experience witnessing violence during COVID-19 as a Filipino American. \u201cEven for me personally, I have to check in,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I go out, I\u2019m always asking myself, \u2018Is this a racist community? Am I traveling alone? Am I with white friends?\u2019 These reactions can almost fade into your subconscious until you actually stop, pause, and realize how much armor you\u2019re wearing in order to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The model minority myth<\/h3>\n

A quieter yet equally insidious type of racism is more specific to the AAPI community. The \u201cmodel minority\u201d myth is a predominant and racist perception in American culture that assumes all AAPI people are uniformly well-adjusted and have attained, or are more capable of attaining, socioeconomic success than other minority groups through strong work ethic, conforming to social norms, and excelling academically. This assumption has been largely debunked; however, the misconception persists.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d be surprised that even to this day, a lot of people don\u2019t realize it\u2019s a myth,\u201d says Sue Bae, Ph.D., faculty at The Chicago School\u2019s Department of Clinical Psychology at the Chicago Campus.<\/p>\n

To some, the model minority myth might not sound like a negative issue\u2014it has even been referred to as a \u201cpositive stereotype.\u201d Yet the myth has profound negative effects on the mental health of many AAPI people. \u201cEven the positive stereotypes are harmful because the community continues to be marginalized and alienated,\u201d Dr. Bae explains.<\/p>\n

The assumption that AAPI individuals are stable and don\u2019t have problems, mentally or otherwise, pressures them to remain quiet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere hasn\u2019t been what I would call structured and targeted outreach toward this community because they\u2019re always seen as \u2018higher functioning,\u2019 according to the model minority myth,\u201d Dr. Parkekh says. \u201cIt obfuscates what\u2019s actually going on in that community. It creates this pretty picture, and they\u2019re not being reached out to because people think they\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Model expectations create an isolating existence for AAPI individuals, not only because they don\u2019t receive the same offers for help, but because the constant expectation for perfection leaves individuals feeling as though they cannot ask for help for fear of backlash.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inherent pressure to succeed both academically and professionally puts a huge weight of expectation on the individual,\u201d Dr. Songco says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s that expectation that deters individuals from seeking out help, from seeking out additional resources. It\u2019s an expectation that puts an undue amount of pressure on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Internal stigmas<\/h3>\n

Stigmas from within their own communities also play a role. According to a 2018 survey from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Data Archive, AAPI people cited confidentiality concerns and fear of neighbors\u2019 negative opinions as factors for not seeking treatment.<\/p>\n

Most would rather seek out family members or community members to get help and to get advice, rather than talking to somebody whom they don\u2019t really know and therefore don\u2019t trust with their mental health.
\n\u2014Sue Bae, Ph.D.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cOne thing to consider is the cultural differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures,\u201d Dr. Bae says. \u201cIn the U.S., we\u2019re generally more individualistically oriented, so it\u2019s highly encouraged to seek out help and advocate for yourself, whereas people who come from collectivist cultures usually view their identities in a more interdependent way. You have your own identity, of course, but you also depend on the members of your group, and you always consider the needs of the group first.”<\/p>\n

Focusing on the needs of the group often results in a prioritization of the views of the group, and a privatization of issues that don\u2019t reflect a positive outward appearance. Thus, traditionally, many problems have been dealt with behind closed doors among family members only, resulting in a strong hesitance to reach out to anyone outside of the family for help.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d hypothesize that it leads back to Confucian beliefs for keeping things in the family, and the worry that talking about mental health-related issues might reflect badly on your family or your community. It feels like airing out too much dirty laundry,\u201d Dr. Bae explains. \u201cMost would rather seek out family members or community members to get help and to get advice, rather than talking to somebody whom they don\u2019t really know and therefore don\u2019t trust with their mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Intergenerational conflict<\/h3>\n

This tradition can become challenging when families are a source of stress for AAPI individuals. Struggles to come to terms with ones\u2019 own identity can manifest when the traditions of immigrant parents clash with Westernized ideations their children acquired growing up in the U.S. \u201cThe juxtaposition between holding onto one\u2019s cultural roots and embracing the host society can feed into family conflicts and create a lot of family stress,\u201d Dr. Parekh says. \u201cMany Asian Americans walk around holding a lot of family stress on their back that they don\u2019t speak about.\u201d<\/p>\n

By working with clients, I\u2019m trying to help them understand that they can incorporate aspects of their family\u2019s culture that they may still find meaningful, but also reject those that have been harmful.
\n\u2014David Songco, Psy.D.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This phenomenon has been documented as acculturative stress, as individuals attempt to function in a host or dominant society while still balancing values and expectations from another, causing strain from the extra mental energy exerted in this balancing act.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m working with AAPI youth, we have to take a look at how holding onto aspects of their identity might be serving them, and how even if the answer is to let some of that go, it\u2019s OK to grieve for it too,\u201d Dr. Songco says. \u201cIn many family situations children might come to recognize that their parents hurt them but also genuinely love them, and it\u2019s not always all or one. By working with clients, I\u2019m trying to help them understand that they can incorporate aspects of their family\u2019s culture that they may still find meaningful, but also reject those that have been harmful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The road to healing<\/h3>\n

Ultimately, the AAPI experience encompasses a huge variety of cultural traditions and experiences, accentuating the need to expand studies in mental health education to prepare future mental healthcare professionals to understand their AAPI clients.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that\u2019s been very helpful in my own clinical practice is cultural humility, which is understanding how the patient understands their culture, not how I understand their culture as the therapist,\u201d Dr. Parekh says. \u201cHaving a culturally humble framework helps clients not feel judged or like they\u2019re not seen as just one representative of a specific ethnic group and that they have their own nuanced ways of understanding the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

This concept of cultural humility, or cultural competence, has been incorporated into the curricula of many medical and psychological programs, including those at The Chicago School. Studying cultural expectations for as many diverse communities as possible can help professionals better understand their clients and how to help them with their identity struggles, whether their cultural experiences have been positive or negative.<\/p>\n

Having a culturally humble framework helps clients not feel judged or like they\u2019re not seen as just one representative of a specific ethnic group and that they have their own nuanced ways of understanding the world.
\n\u2014Bina Parekh, Ph.D.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAt my practice, I\u2019ve worked with AAPI individuals who have very traditional beliefs, and I find it\u2019s helpful to look to their traditions to find coping methods that align with or incorporate those beliefs,\u201d Dr. Parekh adds. \u201cThey can be simple things. For example, some people have religious or self-care rituals that give them peace and calm. Or reaching out to wisdom leaders within the community whom they may feel the need to reestablish a connection with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The collectivist natures of many AAPI communities could also be harnessed in solutions to outreach and accessibility. \u201cCommunity-based intervention can be used as a model,\u201d Dr. Songco says. \u201cUtilizing the collective culture of the Asian community could produce some great interventions and treatments specific to their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For too long, the mental health needs of the AAPI community were ignored\u2014but the time to change that is now, while the spotlight is still on. Institutions that have made
\nstrong commitments to diversity, like The Chicago School, are ideally positioned to take the bold action needed to support AAPI communities and understand their mental
\nhealthcare needs.<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about The Chicago School<\/h3>\n

To learn more about academic programs at The Chicago School, fill out the information below to request more information. You can also apply today through our application portal here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 ushered in an era of fear, confusion, and uncertainty, a second deadly virus was born. It began with references to the outbreak as \u201cThe Chinese Virus\u201d and soon escalated into a full-scale tragedy. An elderly Thai man was shoved to his death on the unforgiving sidewalk while taking his morning walk. An 89-year-old Chinese woman was attacked and set on fire outside her home. An Asian American family was berated with racist slurs while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":114595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[1252],"coauthors":[1241],"class_list":["post-114509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-magazine","tag-winter-2022"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Model Minority Myth - Insight Digital Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mental health concerns of the AAPI community were thrust into the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing the need to understand their culture to provide the best care.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/from-the-magazine\/the-model-minority-myth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Model Minority Myth - 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