Lecture: Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype

The model minority stereotype is a form of racism that targets Asian/Americans, portraying them as consistently hard working and academically successful. Rooted partially in news media portrayal and popular press reinforcement, the model minority stereotype has tremendous societal, ethical, moral, and psychological implications. In his talk, editor Hartlep will discuss Modern Societal Impacts of the Model Minority Stereotype, an edited volume that highlights current research on the model minority stereotype and the implications it has on American culture and society, as well as the U.S. Asian/American population.

In this dynamic presentation, Dr. Hartlep will discuss why the stereotype is socio-politically volatile. As Kang (2014) points out, “Laudatory views of Asians can be invoked to discredit the claims of other minority groups and then revoked when Asians emerge as a potential threat to whites” (p. 92). This presentation will be nontraditional because the thoughts of various chapter contributors are audio-visually embedded within Dr. Hartlep’s talk.