Poster #172 - Internalization of the Model Minority Stereotype for Youth and its Associated Outcomes

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

The percentage growth of the Asian alone or in combination with one or more additional race between the 2000 and 2010 censuses was 46% which was more than any other major race group (U.S. Census 2010). However, with this increase the Asian population is continuously understudied. The current study examines the model minority stereotype among Korean-American adolescents. The model minority stereotype (MMS) continues to portray Asians as hardworking, intelligent, and successful (Oyserman & Sakamoto, 1997). This stereotype, however positive, may still have negative effects, particularly for adolescent students where the MMS is emphasized in the academic setting. From the target’s perspective, the MMS has been described as inaccurate, restrictive, and damaging (Lee, 1996; Rosenbloom & Way, 2004). One such way that the MMS may work in a damaging way may be through the stereotype threat phenomena. Using the stereotype threat literature (Steele, 1997; Steele & Aronson, 1995), the MMS may impair achievement through distraction, pressure, and fear of failing to meet expectations of the MMS (Shih, Ambady, Richeson, Fujita, & Gray, 2002; Wong & Halgin, 2006). The current study examines factors that can affect immigrant adolescents’ perception of the model minority stereotype on themselves such as their acculturation level and ethnic identity and how they predict their academic attitudes and achievement. Furthermore, other factors such as psychological well-being and family conflict were examined to see if they interacted with the others.

The sample included first- and second-generation immigrants from Korea who are in middle and high schools in the Midwest and the southern California region. Sixth through twelfth grade (ages 11 to 18) students (N=200) who had both a signed parental consent and assent form participated in the study. As expected, the results supported that the students who had a more positive and stronger ethnic identity who were also less acculturated internalized the MMS to a higher degree than those who were less identified and more acculturated. Furthermore, for the students that had very high and positive attitudes regarding school (i.e., the importance of school, the utility of school, and their academic self-efficacy), GPA moderated the link to their MMS. Specifically, for these students, higher their GPA the more they internalized the MMS, the lower their GPA the lower their MMS perceptions. Lastly, the study found that the more intergenerational cultural family conflict they experienced due to cultural differences, the more they were depressed and anxious which would in turn predict lower GPAs.

Author

• Hui Chu, Purdue University Northwest
  Presenting Author