Not Your Model Minority
Author: Andrew Lefkowits, Val Brown, Courtney Mykytyn
November 17, 2021
Duration: 56:26
Dr. Sarah-Soonling Blackburn is an educator, speaker, and professional development specialist. Growing up in a mixed race, Asian and White family, and spending most of her childhood in various countries in Asia, ideas of belonging have always had salience for her. From the classroom to Learning for Justice, her work has focused on the things that help students feel seen and included. She joins us to discuss the myth of the Model Minority and helps contextualize the role of Asian American identities in our collective understanding and education about race and America.
With a bit of a history lesson, Dr. Blackburn gives us a greater understanding of how this myth is not only harmful to Asian Americans, but to all people of color, and how it is directly tied to anti-Black racism in our country. She also offers deep reflection about what solidarity building can really mean and what we all have to offer in the fight to dismantle White supremacy culture.
LINKS:
Time cover – “Those Asian-American Whiz Kids“ (http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19870831,00.html)
Learning for Justice (https://www.learningforjustice.org/)
Paula Yoo – From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement (https://bookshop.org/books/from-a-whisper-to-a-rallying-cry-the-killing-of-vincent-chin-and-the-trial-that-galvanized-the-asian-american-movement/9781324002871)
Cathy Park Hong – Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning (https://bookshop.org/books/minor-feelings-an-asian-american-reckoning/9781984820389)
Erika Lee – The Making of Asian American (https://bookshop.org/books/the-making-of-asian-america-a-history-9781494564544/9781476739410)
Elizabeth McRea – Mothers of Massive Resistance (https://bookshop.org/books/mothers-of-massive-resistance-white-women-and-the-politics-of-white-supremacy/9780190088392)
Dr. McRea on our podcast – White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy (https://integratedschools.org/podcast/mcrae/)
Jeff Chan – We Gon’ Be Alright (https://bookshop.org/books/we-gon-be-alright-notes-on-race-and-resegregation/9780312429485)
Other resources that have shaped our learning:
The Asian American Justice and Innovation Lab (https://www.aajil.org/)
See Us Unite (https://www.seeusunite.org/)
The PBS Series – Asian Americans (https://www.pbs.org/show/asian-americans/)
Code Switch Post – The Model Minority Myth (https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/04/19/524571669/model-minority-myth-again-used-as-a-racial-wedge-between-asians-and-blacks)
Angry Asian Man (http://blog.angryasianman.com/)
Bianca Mabute-Louie (https://biancaml.com/about/)
Dr. Connie Wun (https://www.conniewunphd.com/)
Use these links or start at our Bookshop.org storefront (https://bookshop.org/shop/IntegratedSchools) to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.
Join our Patreon (http://patreon.com/integratedschools) to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.
Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – @integratedschls (https://twitter.com/integratedschls) on twitter, IntegratedSchools (http://facebook.com/integratedschools) on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org.
We are a proud member of The Connectd Podcast Network. (http://connectdpodcasts.com/)
The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.
This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.
Music by Kevin Casey.
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