Model Minority Essay

386 Words2 Pages

Often Asian Americans are called the “model minority” because they seem to be successful economically, socially, and educationally without significant confrontations with the white majority (Johnson & Rhodes, 2015). Kim-Ly’s parents immigrated to the United States 27 years ago from Vietnam. Over time the family has progressed socioeconomically and now owns a small grocery store but still experiences stress over paying bills. Many cultural values of Vietnamese are derived from Confucianism, promoting filial piety and other strong family-centered values (Johnson & Rhodes, 2015). It is a central tenant in Asian culture to bring honor to the family and not shame it. The hierarchy of interpersonal relationships is also most important to this culture as well as maintaining social harmony which is valued over success or self-satisfaction (Johnson & Rhodes, 2015). Recent studies also show that some groups of second-generation Asian Americans exhibit high …show more content…

The possibility that other family members will want to be involved using an outside resource is very slim. However, because Kim-Ly grew up in American culture and considers herself to be Americanized, this will be a strength for her as she navigates through the process of emotional healing and independence. It is important to note that an acculturative conflict exists between Kim-Ly and her parents that would require a culturally competent social worker in this arena. Moreover, experts suggest that immigrant family members acculturate at different rates resulting in an acculturation gap, which negatively influences family adjustment (Ho & Birman, 2010). In this case, the social worker must understand how biculturalism influences the structures, communication, and dynamics of the family (Sue, Rasheed & Rasheed,