Final answer:
The 'model minority' stereotype in the media negatively impacts Asians by creating unrealistic expectations, obscuring diversity within the community, and exacerbating racial tensions. It leads to educational and professional discrimination and can make individuals targets for harassment and violence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Being viewed as a "model minority" substantially impacts the way Asians are portrayed in the media, influencing not only public perception but also affecting the Asian American community itself. This stereotype suggests that Asian Americans are uniformly successful, well-behaved, hardworking, and academically high-achieving. While seemingly positive, this stereotype can lead to unrealistic expectations, pressure to conform, and can mask individual and community struggles.
The negative effects of this portrayal include obscuring the reality of diversity within Asian communities, dismissing the need for assistance and resources, and contributing to a racial hierarchy that can drive wedges between minority groups. It can also result in discrimination in educational and professional settings against those who do not meet these stereotypical expectations. Furthermore, the model minority myth can make stereotyped individuals targets for racial harassment and violence, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Essays by writers like Cathy Park Hong have sought to overcome this isolation by diversifying the narrative, elucidating the complex realities, and promoting solidarity among people of the same and other minority communities. By sharing nuanced stories and countering stereotypes, such works help to build understanding and empathy across racial lines.