Introduction to Asian American Studies: Final Zine Project (4) - Lauren Hendrickson - Kelli Kufta - Madi Earnshaw - Hayley Lee

Orientals: Asian American in Popular Culture The Cold War Origins of the Model Minority Myth By: Robert G Lee Group 6: Lauren Hendrickson, Hayley Lee, Kelli Kufta, Madi Earnshaw Key Points of the Text: Lee talks about how Asian Americans took rise to the position of ‘model minority’. However, he did not regard their success. They became the model minority because of their refusal of African Americans by society. The Asian American political silence helped construct this idea of a model minority. During the 1940s, there was an expansion of sexual freedom & experimentation through homosexuality. This was a time in which young people designed new patters of relationships & a more relaxed attitude towards the idea of same sex relationships. However, homosexuality was viewed as a ‘secret way of life’ & weakened the nations standards. Dwight Eisenhower, President at the time, ordered too barre gay men & lesbians from federal employment. This emphasized the link between anticommunism & homophobia. America’s entry into the war against Nazi Germany & Imperial Japan made it difficult to sustain national policies based on theories of white racial supremacy. While the U.S. Government condemned the Nazi’s doctrine of racial superiority & identified the defeat of racism as one of the reasons ‘why they fight’, Japanese Americans continued to be singled out on the basis of race. However, other Asian American ethnic groups began to receive special treatment from the federal government. This disconnect confused many different Asian American ethnic groups & made them question where the U.S. really stood or if they were just putting up a front for the sake of politics.