Stereotype: Chinese Americans are polite, quiet, and deferential

Immigration and Labeling

Chinese immigration began in earnest in the 1840s, following the Opium War of 1840, and continued through the 1850s with the California Gold Rush (“The History of Chinese Immigration�?). Aside from uprooting themselves to leave family and friends, the incredibly long journey, language barriers, and adjusting to a new culture, these immigrants were free to come to the U.S. However, true discriminatory measures were taken by the U.S. government in 1882 with the Chinese Exclusion Act, “which prohibited Chinese labor immigration; the Exclusion Act was the first and only time that immigrants were excluded on the basis of race�? (Yeung). The Chinese Exclusion Act was not repealed until 1943, “allowing immigrants already in the US to bring over family members from China�? (“A Brief History of Chinese Immigration to America�?). Because of continuing restrictions, many immigrants were highly educated and successful individuals prior to their entrance into the U.S. It was not until the 1964 Immigration and Nationality Act that all sanctions on Chinese immigration were removed, allowing greater numbers of Chinese immigrants to enter an already volatile atmosphere in the United States (“A Brief History of Chinese Immigration to America�?).

With the growing number of Asian Americans in the U.S. came increased press, introducing the unfortunate new term into popular culture: “model minority.�? According to many supposedly reputable newspapers and magazines, Asian Americans were smarter, more polite, more successful, and better at math and sciences than any other race in America. Interestingly, this new high praise for Asian Americans coincided with increasing unrest and protest among African Americans. Many Asian Americans and others wary of this new stereotype claim that “the ‘Model Minority’ thesis is used to discredit the Civil Rights movement… The stereotype is used to pit one minority against another�? (Mar). In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan’s administration came forward with “proof�? that Asian Americans were more successful than other races, and therefore, they decided that racial and ethnic discrimination is not an excuse for a lack of educational or employment opportunities. In 1984, Reagan found that Asian American families had higher household incomes than the average American family. Unfortunately, he did not point out that individual income for Asian Americans was still actually lower. This fact was not apparent because “there was a larger proportion of Asian families in which both spouses worked than among white families. Asian children remained with their families longer and thereby contributed longer to family income. Asian families were larger on the average and, therefore, had more earners contributing to family income�? (Mar).

Evidence of the Stereotype

As most American minorities, Chinese Americans have been labeled with a number of ethnic stereotypes. “Chinese Americans tend to be labeled the smart, hard-working kids�? (“American-born Chinese�?). “Asian Americans may also be commonly stereotyped as being studious, affluent, and non-violent�? (“Model Minority�?). “According to the model minority myth, Asian youth are supposedly very family oriented, quiet, disciplined, and extremely intelligent�? (Yeung). Even former president, George Bush, referred to Asians as “the quiet people�? (Yeung). The stereotype of the polite, quiet and deferential Asian extends to books and movies as well. In Pearl Buck’s The Good Peasant, Chinese are hard-working and honest, but clearly not intended to leave their position. “Their strong ties to the land added an aspect of humility and simplicity which is translated into passivity and docility�? (Yeung). Bruce Lee, arguably the most famous Chinese movie star, destroyed some stereotypes in his movies, “but despite being the hero, never gets the girl at the end of the movie�? (“American-born Chinese�?). Harold, of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, is faced with the passive Asian stereotype by co-workers and others throughout the film. It is a great personal victory when he is able to overcome the stereotype and act out confidently on his own. Though refering to Chinese Americans as polite and quiet in general means caving to a stereotypical image, there is some valid history behind the generalization. One must be aware though that each individual is impacted by a variety of circumstances beyond race, ethnicity, or any other group identification.

History of the Stereotype and the Reality

While stereotyping is generally negative, the generalizations frequently take root in fact. In the case of Chinese Americans, the tendency toward politness and deferential behavior that has become a stereotype is actually a natural culture phenomena that is prevalent for a number of reasons. “One possible influence on the good performance of Asian Americans as a group is that they represent a small self-selected elite of Asians because the difficulty of emigrating filtered out many of those not possessing more resources, motivation, or ability�? (“Model Minority�?). Since the Chinese were not entering the U.S. in large numbers, especially early in the twentieth century, “the immigrants were a numerically small minority and as such were in no position to challenge authority even when wrongfully exercised�? (Helmreich 140). By virtue of their position, background, and surroundings, many Chinese Americans were comparatively quiet. Even in areas heavily populated by Chinese Americans, the same customs are held. Chinese cultural heritage, in the form of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, influences many Chinese Americans.

During the late East Han Dynasty, Taoism became the state religion. “The Taoist teaching Wuwei (Non-action) tries persuading people not to try to control nature, to conform with it instead�? (“Taoism�?). Many Taoists allow nature to work itself out rather than complaining when something does not go their way. Because of this, Chinese Americans may seem passive to the more confrontational Americans. Lao Tzu, Taoism’s primary philosopher said “He who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know�? (Nisbett 211), which cites the idea, also common in Confucianism, that one who talks too much is a fool, while one who listens and observes is wise.

Confucianism contributes to many Chinese Americans’ seemingly deferential behavior because Confucius stressed propriety in relationships and advocated a fairly strict social order. “Confucianism specialised in ethics, in the orderly arrangement of society and correct relationships between people�? (“Confucianism�?). Chinese Americans will frequently defer to those in a higher position of authority rather than appearing rude and questioning or criticizing the authority figure. Buddhists also share this idea that one should always put the needs of others first, “to show kindness and compassion toward others, as well as self-discipline�? (Helmreich 140). Chinese and Chinese Americans tend to be more concerned about the group than about themselves as individuals; “In Chinese there is no word for ‘individualism.’ The closest one can come is the word for ‘selfishness’�? (Nisbitt 51). Because of this, they are often seen as passive or apathetic when in reality they are merely acting in accordance with their cultural values.

Dangers of the Stereotype and What that Means for Teachers

While aspects of this stereotype seem to be true, there is a danger in the continued labeling of Chinese Americans. Teachers must also be aware of true cultural differences as the styles of communication can cause problems with miscommunication. In traditional Asian cultures, people are reluctant to question authority figures, even when they are unsure of what they are being asked to do. Americans sometimes see this as laziness; although it is only a lack of understanding. On the job and in school, Americans are usually expected to verbalize both problems and successes that they encounter. “Since modesty and self-effacement are valued characteristics in Asian cultures, traditional Asian-Americans can often be penalized in American culture if they do not call attention to their accomplishments�? (Blank 43). When Chinese Americans do have trouble, they are more likely to turn to family or close friends, fulfilling the American perception that they are more intelligent and successful not because they actually are but because they are not asking for assistance. “Rather than complain to others, model minorities will rely on each other and through this reliance find strength and succeed. ‘Language difficulties, limited job opportunities and fear of assimilation . . . keep them together . . . without access to health and social services . . . The inevitable result: a new Amerasia . . .’�? (Yeung).

Despite the Chinese American cultural tendency toward being polite and reserved, each individual must be accepted the way he or she is, rather than solely as a member of a cultural group. Because Americans have assumptions about Chinese Americans, they make incorrect judgments about Chinese Americans’ needs and abilities. “Asians tend to be located in the labor market's secondary sector, where wages are low and promotional prospects minimal… they can also be found in the primary sector, but here they are found mostly in the lower-tier levels as architects, engineers, computer-systems analysts, pharmacists, and schoolteachers, rather than in upper-tier levels of management and decision making�? (Chin). It is frequently assumed that Asian Americans do not have the leadership skills or the assertive nature necessary to a high level position. When Chinese Americans do act outside of the stereotypical image though, they are also met with criticism. “The irony is that if we are assertive, it is immediately considered aggressive, probably because of the stereotype that we’re passive�? (Blank 40).

Chinese Americans encounter the same stereotypes in schools as well. Teachers need to be aware of cultural differences, but they can not base their judgments only on group distinctions. Asian Americans are assumed to be model students, which seems to be a positive assumption, but “in some cases this may have the effect of those with learning disabilities being given less attention than they need�? (“Model Minority�?). For students who adhere to traditional Chinese norms, teachers need to be explicit in instruction and directions and understand that students think it is rude to ask for clarification or direction because they think it reflects badly on the teacher. “Being direct and forthright might mean being insensitive to the feelings of others or even being offensive�? (Blank 40). In general, teachers need to know where their students come from, but in the end, each student has his or her own unique individual characteristics that need to be considered in the classroom.

Works Cited

“American-born Chinese.�? Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 20 July 2005. MediaWiki. 20 July 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-born_Chinese

Blank, Renee and Sandra Slipp. voices of diversity: Real People Talk about Problems and Solutions in a Workplace Where Everyone is Not Alike. New York: American Management Association, 1994.

“A Brief History of Chinese Immigration to America.�? The American Immigration Law Foundation. 2000. 21 July 2005. http://www.ailf.org/awards/ahp_0001_essay01.htm

“Confucianism.�? Onelittleangel.com. 22 July 2005. http://www.onelittleangel.com/wisdom/art/religious.asp?mc=23

Helmreich, William B. The Things They Say Behind Your Back. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1982.

“The History of Chinese Immigration.�? In Pursuit of Freedom & Equality: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. 28 May 2000. Washburn University School of Law. 21 July 2005. http://brownvboard.org/brwnqurt/03-4/03-4c.htm

Mar, Gary. “Are Asians Model Minorities?�? 2004. The University of Dayton School of Law. 20 July 2005. http://academic.udayton.edu/race/01race/model01.htm

“Model Minority.�? Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 20 July 2005. MediaWiki. 20 July 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_minority

Nisbett, Richard E. The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently… and Why. New York: The Free Press, 2003.

Yeung, Malcom. “A Student’s Perspective- Objectification of Asian-Americans: A Historical Consistency.�? The Raging Buddha. 1994. 20 July 2005. http://modelminority.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=72