AAS Perspectives Quiz 2

5 significant stereotypical media portrayals of Asian Americans

1. perpetual foreigner

2. mysterious

3. exotic

4. arm candy for white males

5. invisible

stereotypes

cognitions about people based on their categorization into an identifiable group

prejudice

a prejudging, typically negative belief of individuals or groups based upon their classification as race

discrimination

behavior toward people based on their categorization; negative behavior can occur without intentional malice of the one performing negative behavior

racism

the institutionalized mistreatment of people based on their classification in a racial/ethnic group on the downside of power

American Heritage Dictionary definition of exotic

1. from another part of the world; not indigenous; foreigner

2. having the charm of the unfamiliar; strikingly and intriguingly unusual or beautiful

suicide is the __ leading cause of death in the U.S.

10th

the first leading cause of death among Asian American young adults aged 15-24

suicide

According to Noor-Oshiro’s article in The Conversation, how many national studies are targeting Asian American mental health?

one

What percent of all Americans are projected to be of immigrant origin according to Noor-Oshiro?

36%

Why would reversing racism not undo disparities in health outcomes such as suicide?

White supremacy runs so deep in America, and assimilation is “traumagenic”

What does it mean for assimilation to be “traumagenic”?

The traumatic exposures of racist & xenophobic violence and discrimination have power to disrupt one’s psych & physio functioning & can alter genetic code for generations to come (epigenetics; intergenerational trauma)

acculturation

a process by which an individual’s behaviors and a group’s cultural knowledge, identity, and behavior styles change in the direction of those of the dominant group

inscrutable

of Asian men, a total lack of emotion; never smiling, laughing, or grimacing—instead a completely impassive and unmoving face, but threatening impassivity

assimilation

adopting the aspects of the dominant culture to a higher degree than in acculturation (acculturation allows for retention of culture of origin)

the two most common stereotypes for Asian Americans

1. perpetual foreigner

2. model minority

the five components of the success frame in order

1. get straight As

2. become high school valedictorian

3. obtain a degree from an elite university

4. obtain an advanced degree

5. work in one of four high status fields (medicine, science, law, engineering)

How is race similar to gender in terms of being a performance?

you’re not born, rather you become a model minority

What were the key differences between shammer David Vanegas and passer Azia Kim’s experiences?

David was outspoken and told wild stories about himself, seeking attention. He would play video games and get access to parties. Azia, on the other hand, kept her head down and actually studied for exams (though didn’t take them), bought books, and posted on social media about exams. She did not want to stand out.

What kind of student was Azia in high school? (academics, extracurricular involvements)

• she was a good student, but not exemplary/top of the class

• she was in the JV swim team, was not particularly good at it at first but improved

• she was in orchestra

genre (Lauren Berlant)

an emotionally invested, patterned set of expectations about how to act & interpret, organizing a relationship between the acting subject and interpreting subject, their feelings & expressions, and their historical present

the 3 types of impostors

1. scammers

2. shammers

3. passers

scammer

an impostor who stands to gain clear material advantage (hard cash or cultural capital) via deception

shammer

an impostor with idiosyncratic motives, a poser with no possibility of obtaining a degree

passers

shammers who are able to convince their audience (often families and their hometown community, NOT their peers around them at college) that they have achieved model minority identity; they are performing

intergenerational trauma

impact of historical trauma upon subsequent generations; doesn’t depend on whether the trauma has occurred in the collective, and typically manifests within individuals and family systems

historical trauma

collective complex trauma inflicted on a group of people who share a group identity or affiliation