Graduation Year

2018

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Media Studies

Reader 1

Kim T. Trang-Tran

Reader 2

Melanie Nakaue

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2018 Sarah E. Wong

Abstract

How to Be A Model Minority: Mastering the American Dream is a satirical instructional manual which teaches readers to be idealized Chinese Americans in order to integrate into American society. The booklet bases its standards off of the model minority myth, a conception of Asian Americans which assumes Asian Americans must repress their Asian heritage and embrace overachievement to attain the socioeconomic status of a middle class white American family. Through color illustrations, photos, and short expository texts, the booklet explains to readers how and why they should accept the standards of the model minority myth, and uses Asian American characters in popular television and movies as references.

How to Be a Model Minority humorously deconstructs the model minority myth by exaggerating the expectations the myth places on Asian, particularly Chinese, Americans. This exaggeration allows the reader to question the validity of model minority expectations and the groups truly benefitting from these imposed standards. By examining media representations of Asian Americans, the booklet also suggests the role popular media has in disseminating cultural information.

Download

This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

Share

COinS