The Nature and Problem of Stereotypes

Professor William Wei during the 1960s and is used to make invidious
Department of His tory comparisons with other people of color. It
University of Colorado at Boulder embodies a "cultural determinist" argument,
that Asian Americans have overcome extra-
Stereotypes are an ingrained feature of ordinary adversities through the strength of
American society and an integral part of our their cultural heritage.
socialization process, transmitting a patchwork For educators, what makes Asian
of traditionally inaccurate images and cliches Americans a model worth emulating is their
from one generation to another. They are based exceptional school performance. This
on preconceptions that are derived from exist- perceived performance, however, is excellence
ing sources of information about certain people in a limited number of areas. It is an article of
and selective perceptions developed to explain faith that Asian Americans are "born" mathe-
their behavior. Stereotypes are a function of maticians or scientists, but are unable to master
social relations between groups or political English even if they try. While many have
relations between nations, not extensive per- certainly done well in school, many others
sonal experience or knowledge. We use them to have not, a fact that is conveniently ignored or
justify certain prejudices that we have and to overlooked. Moreover, the "Model Minority"
strengthen our self-image at the expense of stereotype fails to take into consideration the
someone else. Indeed, their primary purpose is high psychological costs of academic
to degrade others as a means of accentuating our achievement.
own humanity.
Perhaps the most insidious aspect of stereo- Before you can successfully address the pro-
types is that they weaken our ability to think blem of stereotypes, you have to recognize
critically and serve as a major source of dis- not only that it is a universal problem but
information about others, especially women also that it may be a personal one as well.
and minorities. Instead of challenging the So it will probably be necessary first to ask,
stereotypes that we encounter in our daily "Am I burdened with race, gender, and class
lives, we accept them as representing reality stereotypes?" It is a difficult question to
and erroneously equate them with valid ask and answer, since none of us want to
generalizations based on accurate data about a believe that we harbor and promote stereo-
group of people. In actuality, they are nothing types. The beneficial result of this self-
more than standardized mental pictures examination is self-empowement, for when
reflecting an oversimplified opinion and have it is over you will have greater control over
little or no ascertainable basis in fact. They what you think and who you are, and a
project unidimensional caricatures, masking the better understanding of \r at Carlos Cortes
diver-sity that is an inherent feature of every (1979) refers to as the "sot ! ~ ~ r r i ~ ~ l ~ r n , "
'&"

group of people. Oniy Euro-An~ericansare that "massive, ongoing, [Link] mmculum

depicted as representing the entire spectrum ot of family, peer groups, neighborhoods, mass
humanity. Stereotypes, however, do accurate- media, and other socializing forces that
ly reflect one social reality: unequal relations 'educate' us throughout our lives."
in society and in the world.
Using Asians and Asian Americans as The best way to tackle the question of
illustrations, I would like to suggest a way for whether you have unintentionally
you and your students to deal with the problem stereotyped a group of people is to do so
of stereotypes. But first, a cautionary note is in head on and on paper. Writing out your
order: The issue is not whether specific stereo- thoughts and feelings enables you to see
types are politically correct or incorrect, nega- more clearly what is in your mind's eye
tive or positive, but rather that they are, by and, equally important, take ownership of
definition, basically false and misleading. A it. One way is to write it out in the form of
case in point is Asian Americans as a "model a tree, with the more fundamental ascribed
minority," a positive stereotype that emerged characteristics where the roots are, and
 derivative ones where the leaves are. television could yield a wealth of images
Another way is simply to write down five fgr analysis and discussion, activities that
adjectives that you think best describe a will impart critical thinking skills. Among
people. For example, given the Japan the questions that could be asked are the
bashing that has been going on in the following:
United States, it might prove instructive to
compare what you have written down about Are these images accurate? What purpose
the Japanese, who are increasingly do they serve?
perceived as our newest "enemy," at least in Do these images affect Asian-American
the economic arena, and what scholars self-identity? How do they affect the rest
know about them. of society, especially Euro-Americans?
Are counterportrayals useful? Or do they
3. After identifying potential stereotypes, it simply promote a different stereotype?
is essential to subject them to critical scruti- Are there any perceptual, moral, or mar-
ny and factual verification. Asking Asian keting reasons for advertising agencies to
Americans to tell you what is true and false alter these images in any substantive way?
about the portrait that you have created What do these images imply about
may seem convenient but is foolish. Unless American culture?
they have studied their group's history
and culture, they will probably know as Ultimately, someone will ask, "If these
little as you do. Even though Asian Studies images are inaccurate or unidimensional,
has been in existence since shortly after what are Asians and Asian Americans
World War I1 and has produced a wealth really like?" Since students know that
of information about Asia and the people there are characteristics that distinguish
who live there, and even though Asian- one group of people from another, they will
American Studies was established in the want to learn what these traits are. This is
late 1960s, there is no certainty that Asian the most demanding part of the process,
Americans (or other people, for that since it requires real knowledge that can be
matter) have studied either field. Besides, acquired only through study.
you risk embarrassing them if they cannot
answer the question. References
China Council of the Asia Society. "Looking for
4. If what emerges is a stereotypical portrait China: American Images (Part I)." Color
of a people, then the question becomes: Slides and Cassette Tape Unit, n.d.
What are the origins of these stereotypes? Cortks, Carlos E. "The Societal Curriculum and
A Gallup Organization public opinion poll the School Curriculum: Allies or Antago-
about the Chinese is instructive (China nists?" Educational Leadership , 36, no. 7
Council). In 1966, Americans described (April 1979): 475-479.
Chinese as hardworking, but also as igno-
rant, wariike, sly, and treacherous. But by Recommended Reading
1972, the highest ranking adjectives for For those interested in learning more about the
Chinese in the same poll were hardwork- problem of Asian-American stereotypes, the
ing, intelligent, progressive, artistic, prac- following books are recommended:
tical, and honest. Within the space of six
years, negative opinions were replaced Dower, Hohn W. War without Mercy: Race 6
with positive ones. It is no coincidence that Power in the Pacific War. New York:
these changes occurred during a period of Pantheon Books, 1986.
improved Sino-American relations. Iriye, Akira. Across the Pacific: An Inner
History of American-Easf Asian Relafions.
5. Since stereotypes permeate popular culture, New York: Harcourt, Brace and World,
an effective way to engage students is to 1967.
have them collect examples from a medium
of their choice. For instance, a survey of
advertisements in national magazines or on
Isaacs, Harold R. Scratches on Our Minds:
American Images of China and India. New
York: J . Day, 1958.
Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York:
Vintage Books, 1979.
Wong, Eugene. O n Visual Media Racism:
Asians in the American Motion Pictures.
New York: Arno Press, 1978.

William Wei
Biography
William Wei was born in Tinghai, China,
and raised in the Lower East Side of Manhat-
tan in an ethnic neighborhood consisting of East
Europeans and Puerto Ricans. It was in New
York City that he developed an awareness of
cultural pluralism and an appreciation of its
significance for American society. Influenced by
social movements of the 1960s, he became
involved in the Asian-American Movement, an
ethnic-consciousness movement for equality and
empowerment. It was when he began working
as an Asian-American curriculum specialist for
the Ann Arbor public school district during the
seventies that he realized the need to change
America from a predominantly Euro-American
culture to a multiethnic one.
William Wei is an Associate Professor of
History. He has been active in service to the
University, especially in Asian Studies and
minority affairs. He organized the "Colors of
Colorado," a project to integrate minority scho-
larship into the college curriculum, and was a
founding member of the Center for Studies of
Ethnicity and Race in America. In 1988, he
received the University of Colorado faculty
award for Equity and Excellence; in 1985, he
won the Kayden Faculty Book Manuscript
prize for Counterrevolution in China: The
Nationalists in Jiangxi during the Soviet
Period.