| From the late 19th century to the mid-twentieth century, Asian Americans were viewed as the "yellow peril" and were legally, socially and economically excluded from the main stage of American life. However, since the middle of the 1960s, Asian Americans have been portrayed as the "model minority" in the mass media, indicating that they have achieved the "American Dream" and full integration into the mainstream life of the United States.In this paper, explanations for this 180-degree turn of Asian Americans' public image are conducted both inside and outside the Asian group, concerning cultural, social and political factors. By analyzing all these relevant factors, this paper finds that, on one hand, this change, which confirms the notable rise of Asian Americans' socioeconomic status, is positively influenced by the traditional Asian values, the characteristics of the post-1965 Asian immigrants and the favorable social environment of American society in the second half of the 20th century; on the other hand, the emergence and prevalence of the "model minority myth" is more or less incorporated with the political purpose of defending the racial privileges of the dominant class, which somehow determines the inaccuracy of the "model minority" image and makes Asian Americans the victims of this racial war.The inaccuracy of model minority image is further revealed in the analysis of the Census 2000 data and the hardships suffered by Asian Americans in the anti-Asian violence, the subtle discrimination in employment and education and the distrust among the American public. Thus, the implication of the change of Asian Americans' public image is unveiled:although Asian Americans have obtained remarkable socioeconomic achievements, they are not as successful as expected and are still treated as "forever aliens" by the American masses. |
