You know the Model Minority Myth.  The myth perpetrators, mostly conservative whites, put us up on a pedestal as the shining example of minority achievement. They  talk about how Asian Americans are so great, and imply to other people of color that they should follow our example, and act like us.

But it’s a myth, we aren’t all that, and we spend most of our lives trying to live down the MMM.

Now with the Census Bureau’s release that more and more Americans are living in poverty, there is a bit of MMM bait that you might see used. 

Did you see it stick out like a burnt potsticker? 

Asian Americans are again No.1 in median household incomes in the U.S., a trend that began in 2000 and continues.

We’re rich! We’re better than whites! Hip-hip-hooray?

Asian Americans are supposed to be number-types, but only the most wretched Tiger Moms and Dads would take pride in those stats.

As usual, the Census numbers obscure some truths about the community.

No matter how high the median income, there’s still plenty of pain.

Read more in my amok column on the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund blog….

http://aaldef.org/blog/emergency-chute-needed-even-for-asian-americans.html