Model Minority: Myth’s That Affect Us and How to Overcome Them
The recent Atlanta shootings and the death of 6 Asian women shook our country. We are already dealing with a pandemic, racial injustice, and division between people. Furthermore, our country is already feeling the disconnect and isolation which takes a toll on us as social beings. As a community, trauma has hit home for many. For others, this was an introduction to racial injustice that felt like rubbing salt in an already open wound.
The word “model minority”, in itself, sounds like a positive thing. Right? It sounds like we are the “perfect example” of what a minority should be like. It’s an award for the best minority in America right? However, it is quite the opposite. It is a very subversive and ultimately a dangerous stereotype that Americans and Asian Americans have grown up with. It is embedded in their mindset and life.
As I grew up…
The term “model minority” while I was growing up, meant you would be successful and do well in America. To achieve the American dream, without surpassing the white American dream. Even better yet, we were helping the white American dream become reality. We were taught to mind our own business, be courteous, submissive, quiet, and hard-working. And in turn, we expected that would be rewarded with money, praise, and acceptance in western society. We can see now how that has been turned against us. Now, the interpretation of “model minority” has been associated with weak, inferior masculinity, the sexuality of men, and the over-sexualization/submission, and obedience of women. In essence, we are demeaned as second-class citizens due to our foreignness. Due to our appearance, accents, traditions, these assumptions are reinforced.
These Issues are in the Past Though, Our Country is Diverse. Right?
Racism and stereotypes are in the past. As a progressive country, we could not possibly be in that mindset currently, Right? For the most part, many people of Asian descent know first hand and can attest to the fact that as individuals, people do marginalize us due to our ethnic or racial background.
What the shootings of the women in the massage salons in Georgia brought out was that the old stereotypes still hold true for many. These are easily dismissed as “having a bad day” or “a sexual addiction” with no accountability to the racial aspect of this horrific tragedy. I, like many others, reacted with overwhelming feelings of anger, sadness, fear, and anxiety. In our country, we have been put under a microscope. Now we are seeing the underlying racism that still perpetuates in our society.
Asian elders were being openly attacked on the streets, racial slurs have been thrown out as if it was “back in style”. Now we are all thinking “what do I do now?”. “What am I supposed to do to make change happen and feel safe in my own country?”. “How do handle it when I hear strangers yell at me to go back home when this is my home?” We struggle with identity and now the struggle is to prove that we deserve the identity of being an American.
How do I take care of my mental health with these issues?
You may be going through a lot right now, and here is why I as a therapist in Long Beach, CA can help you process. Therapy can help whether in-person or via online therapy in California. Here is the thing, we all need a safe place to share our own stories and experiences. This is especially important when it is told from our perspective and voice, without its being rationalized or modified to minimize our pain. Vulnerability is seen as a weakness for many, and for the Asian community, our silence and inability to share experiences have made us fearful to express true and valid emotions. Especially, when we have experienced tragedy that hits our community. I, like many, find comfort and understanding when I speak with others who have experienced similar experiences as mine. We comfort each other through understanding and listening. As a community, we have been a voice that has been minimized to a whisper, and now is the time to find our voice again.
The Importance of Cross-Cultural Counseling for Mental Health in California
As a therapist in Long Beach, California, I specialize in the cultural and generational divide among my clients. In therapy I can help you:
Understand differences in communication.
Respectfully understand language in relationships.
Identifying how patterns of microaggressions have been placed in us unknowingly.
And, how to release ourselves from our own feelings of responsibility for the actions others have taken.
I am here to help, to validate, and encourage you to share your voice, especially when you’ve been taught not to for so long. Knowing how you self-identity and getting recognition of our “silence” are key to letting ourselves be freed from the ties that hold us back
I understand your pain and have helped others with similar pain. Often it comes out in our relationships with our partners, children, and families. Our communication breaks down as our frustration and feelings of not being heard build up.
I Know this Time Hasn’t Been Easy, but Working with a Therapist Who Offers Cross-Cultural Counseling May Help.
As we take inventory of our past, consider how our own unique life experiences, intertwine with our family’s experiences. Looking back at generations is the key to understanding our relationship with others today. There are “rules” that have been passed down from generation to generation in order to survive or manage life in the western world. However, these rules are holding you back from discovering your own voice and making space for your needs. As we grow older, we have to understand where we’ve learned many of the “rules” from. They have been ingrained in you. However, there is a time and space to challenge them, see if they are in the best interest of you, your relationships, health, and happiness.
Why Do I Need Multicultural Counseling in Long Beach, CA, or anywhere in California?
I’m not sick, so why do I need a therapist? This will pass and if I distract myself long enough, everything will go back to normal. However, the pain is still there, and if left undealt with, will continue to bug and aggravate you and sabotage your relationships. No, you are not sick. You don’t have to be “sick” to see a therapist. In fact, you deserve the space to be heard and listened to. We all need to acknowledge what we have gone through, settled for, and minimized. When we continue to minimize our circumstances, we start minimizing ourselves and limiting our space in society.
Begin Cross-Cultural Counseling, Trauma Therapy, or any of my other therapy services in Orange County, CA, Long Beach, CA, and Los Angeles County, CA.
If you’re ready to take the next step and discuss your past because you’ve been holding onto the values and ideas of generations of people before you, multicultural counseling may be the place for you. Here you will be heard and validated as we work to discover who you want to be, and not about who your family wants you to be. You can go to Cross-Cultural Issues, under my Services tab for more information on how I can help you. At my online and in-person therapy practice, you can learn about me, your cross-cultural therapist to see if we are a good fit. To get started, schedule your free consultation, or to get started with counseling in Long Beach, CA, follow these simple steps:
Meet with me! Connie Hsu, your multicultural and cross-cultural therapist
Begin processing some of the tough memories and experiences that have been holding you back.
Other Mental Health Services at Healing Generations Counseling
At my therapy office, I offer online therapy at my Long Beach, CA counseling office. Other mental health services at Healing Generations Counseling include individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, life transitions, divorce recovery, trauma therapy, therapy for teens, support groups for teens, support groups for women, and EMDR Therapy. I also specialize in cross-cultural issues. If you’re dealing with hurt across generations, this may be a helpful service for you and your loved ones.
Lastly, as a therapist, I specialize in families, cross-cultural issues, and trauma. If you’re dealing with hurt over generations, my online therapy services can help. I also supply family therapy and support for parents. Lastly, I offer blended family sessions, parent-child conflict counseling, and counseling for sibling rivalry. Begin therapy today in Long Beach, CA. I also serve Orange County, CA, Los Angeles County, CA, or anywhere in the state via online therapy in California.