“One is not born an Asian American. It’s an identity that is inherently political, and must be chosen. Before college, I had never even heard of the term, but I vividly remember the moment that I became Asian American.” - Viet Thanh Nguyen
Source: The Beautiful, Flawed Fiction of ‘Asian American’
The Model Minority Myth insinuates that Asian Americans are studious, intelligent, and self-sufficient. Though this stereotype seems positive, there are actually many negative side effects for Asian Americans and American society. One of the consequences of the model minority myth is the creation of a divide between Asian Americans and other minorities.
Using Asian-Americans as an “ideal” minority is an oppressive tool against other minorities. Other minorities, such as Hispanic and Black students, get pit against Asian-Americans when there are many structural barriers and power dynamics at play.
Additionally, Asian-American students may feel an intense pressure to academically perform and be self-sufficient. Beginning at a young age, Asian-Americans can experience alienation, discrimination, and high expectations from peers, family, and educators. From personal experience and social media, I feel that mental health and help-seeking are taboo subjects in Asian culture. Thus, Asian-Americans may be less likely to seek formal help.
Given all the anti-Asian hate and racial tension, it is important to remember that the entire idea of race and being Asian-American is a social construct, as highlighted by author Viet Thành Nguyen’s quote above. Being Asian-American and the ideas following the construction of race and ethnicity (e.g. the model minority myth) come with complex dynamics of power and oppression. My entire existence as a Vietnamese-American is inherently sociopolitical, as my family’s story and my nationality are intertwined with the Vietnam War and the Fall of Saigon.
At UC San Diego specifically, students are prone to experiencing academic stress with a fast-paced quarter system and harmful academic culture. According to Kohli (2020), UCSD has a “toxic stem culture” that affects STEM students, which made up over 60% of the undergraduate body in 2017-2018. Non-STEM students, like me, can still find this university competitive or even too STEM-oriented.
Some students, regardless of major and background, call UCSD “socially dead” or “UC Scam Diego,” referring to the school culture and various policies that ultimately hurt students. First, this campus has a stereotype of being socially dead for various reasons. There is no fraternity row in La Jolla, which some colleges have, and various comments on the separation of colleges and the general shyness or introversion of students come up often. Some students may even attribute the level of social activity to the academic rigor of this university or the lack of a football team.
Additionally, there have been many remarks about UC San Diego’s housing crisis, high tuition and fees, and lack of accessibility to mental health resources. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on campus offers individual, group, and couples counseling and other mental health resources and tools. However, one issue that often arises is that there is not enough staff and not a culturally diverse staff to accommodate all university students.
Two years ago, I signed up for a CAPS appointment when I was experiencing high stress and feeling overwhelmed. I waited about two weeks for a brief phone screening. When an unfamiliar number called me, I didn’t pick up. I had missed my CAPS phone screening and waited so long that I just decided to not seek help at that time.
Three years ago, Reddit user Onlyhere4help_ posted “Caps rant,” in which they pointed out the need for a more robust CAPS system. They acknowledged that there must be plenty of students in need of CAPS, “but surely there must be a faster more effective way. The current wait time discourages students from even seeking help because seriously you have to wait 2 months for a phone call before you even get an appt? Considering the amount of students in need of mental help or guidance at UCSD they really need to do something about this.”
In addition to students loathing the school’s socially dead stereotype, poor policies, and other inadequacies, all throughout my college career, I noticed subtle anti-Asian sentiments on campus.
Even eleven and six years ago, students turned to Reddit to post about the number of Asian students on campus.
Not only are there anti-Asian sentiments, but I have witnessed plenty of xenophobic remarks and jokes about Chinese international students. This Reddit post on treating Chinese international students more kindly sparked my interest. Based on prior knowledge and observations, I felt like there were many Microaggressions against Asian American students and international Asian students. First, the original poster asked for people to reconsider their perspective on Asian international students and be more compassionate. This indicates there is an issue in the university climate that specifically targets Asian international students, particularly students from China.
The comments are even more telling. Many comments generalized Asian students and Chinese individuals to be unapproachable and hostile through personal experiences. First, international students may feel alienated and afraid to be on their own in a different country. While mental health may not be a commonly talked about topic in Asian culture, UCSD offers various mental health resources and is very open to promoting these topics through programs at the zone and CAPS. However, poor treatment and stereotypes against international Asian students may further deter students from seeking out mental health resources and feeling comfortable on this campus. International students may not feel represented in mental health services with a lack of Asian providers and language accessibility.
Furthermore, xenophobic remarks against Chinese international students may negatively affect Asian-American students on campus. As an Asian-American myself, I am disheartened and hurt. Comments and stereotypes against international students perpetuate a negative campus climate. More specifically, Asian and Asian-American students may sense a lack of belonging and community on a campus that claims to value diversity, equity, and inclusion.