Reflections on "The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origin of the Model Mi" by Ellen D. Wu

In this month's edition of the Diversity Be Like Book Club, we will be discussing Ellen D. Wu's book The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority (random note, the song Color of Success by the Time has come to my head every time I think about the title of this book). In this book, the author discusses the origins of Asians becoming the country's "model minority." Here are my top takeaways from the book.

The Distinct Otherness

One of the common points made throughout the book, even the parts about assimilation, is that Asians have historically been considered distinctly non-American or "other." Even today, after Asian Americans have been in this country for hundreds of years, some may be questioned today on where they are from (this YouTube video addresses this tendency). Even though many Asian Americans may even have skin that is lighter than many white people, they have never been considered white by our country. The book also notes that in the political arenas, there have been continual notes about the shape of their eyes, to distinguish them from whites in this country. Even this week, the introduction of an Asian American puppet caused the call for PBS to lose its funding from the President of the Conservative Political Action Committee.

The Successful Propaganda of the Valiant Soldier and Push for Assimilation

The author notes that a big shift happened with the commercial success of a depiction of Asian American soldiers as valiant and patriotic. These depictions were able to help give the impression on the American psyche that Asian Americans could be brave and that their loyalties are undeniably in the interest of the United States. With this boost in popularity, the Asian American community was thrust into the debate of whether to assimilate into white society or remain a distinct group. This discussion isn't a new one, as it has been had by most minority groups in this country at one point or another. However, the author notes how this debate happened while there was a push by many from different political points of view seeking equality under the law, and how this debate found itself bending to the narratives from both the left and right ideological wings of the Asian American community.

Asians Being Contrasted Against Blacks

One of the more interesting parts of the book to me was how the model minority stereotype was largely framed in how the Asian American community was far different from the black community. This narrative was largely to tell black people to stop complaining, especially during the Civil Rights period, because the Asian American community didn't complain as much and were doing well, even after some of them had been held in internment camps during World War II. Of course this narrative ignores both the discrimination that Asian Americans have and continue to face since that period, as well as the far different circumstances in which each group arrived in the country (immigration vs. slavery). This divide and conquer approach, where you put minority groups against one another, instead of addressing the issues of racism that works against both communities, is neither new or genuine in its consideration of the concern of minorities in this country.

Conclusion

Overall, this book gives a background on the evolution of our country's Asian American narrative, from distinct other, to valiant soldier, to model minority. It's a book full of history, statistics, and illustrates how the complicated path in pursuit of equality.