Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

How the Article “Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons” Represents Yellow Peril and the Model Minority Myth at Miami University

By Megan Pender, Junior Early Childhood Education Major

Asian Americans have been seen as "perpetual foreigners" since they began immigrating to America in the late 19th century. American citizens did not want them in American society and made their lives much more complicated than they had to be. There was discrimination present in jobs, education, and in society as a whole as Asian Americans tried to find their place in this country. In accordance with the ideas portrayed in the framework of orientalism, "the West" had preconceived ideas of "the East," including the characterization of Asians as "uncivilized" and "savages." Orientalism provided the backbone for the idea of yellow peril placed on Asian Americans by whites, who thought of them as invasive and threatening to the country and its cultural values. This view of Asian Americans as yellow peril soon turned into a continuum with the model minority myth, which characterized Asian Americans as the silent minority that advanced in society "with no help from anyone else" (Lee 151; Okihiro 140). This myth explained that Asian Americans were quiet, productive, self-disciplined, and went from the margins of American society to the mainstream (Okihiro 140). The article "Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons" exemplifies these ideas and how the "seamless continuum" of yellow peril and the model minority myth are represented in the claims made by Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member at Miami University.

Indication of yellow peril in this opinionated article includes the mention of international students, which the author states is a majority of Chinese, as "dead weight" in the classroom. This term degrades, discriminates, and overgeneralizes all international students by placing them below the status of whites and domestic students at Miami. It characterizes Asians and other international minority groups on campus as being "not human" and "worthless," which is concurrent with the views presented by yellow peril (Quaye). The anonymous faculty member explains that due to a lack of English literacy and communication skills, international students are "being a burden upon themselves and upon the educators at this institution" (Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member). The author implies that the presence of international students in classrooms serves as a threat to the educators, the institution, and its values, even though the portrayal of these students as a burden "is exactly what blocks them from improving their English and engagement," as stated by an international student in response to the previous claim (Jiang). The argument that international students are "a burden" and "dead weight" represents yellow peril as it distinguishes the effect the students are having on the society at Miami and how "white supremacy" is being threatened.

In regards to white supremacy, yellow peril, and the motives behind it, Okihiro explains that in the past, whites reacted with "race prejudice" and "instinctive defense-reaction impulses" when confronted with Asians to "restrict free competition between races" (Okihiro 135). The restriction of this free competition correlates with the idea that a specific social order was to be maintained and controlled in society (Okihiro 137). In other words, "the East" was to remain "the East" and "the West" was to remain "the West," and the change of the relationship among them was feared by whites. In numerous comments in response to the original article, Miami students say that although there are some "Ohio white boys" that don't do their work and slack off, they differ from international Chinese students that do the same because they are "fully capable of doing the work, but choose not to" (A Miami Grad). Chinese students, however, do not "have the basic skills" and "are not capable of doing their job" (Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member). This instills the line between "the East" and "the West" and how white supremacy effects the way society views similar actions by these two groups of people. "The idea of yellow peril helped to define the white identity" in the past, and continues to "live on," which is seen in the original article and the comments that follow (Okihiro 138). The actions of some white students at Miami University, such as slacking off academically, are much more accepted than the same claimed actions of Chinese students. The anonymous faculty member also states that Chinese students are "setting the bar low" in classes, and that "we cannot have one sector of the student population negatively affect other sectors of our student population," which places ideas of yellow peril on international students (Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member). All of these ideas represent yellow peril on our campus and show that the ideas presented by orientalism are still present. There is still fear and skepticism of equality between international students and domestic students and faculty at Miami.

Not only are international students being portrayed as subjects of yellow peril through academics, but through habits and personal hygiene, as well, as discussed by many students in comments. One student said the Chinese students in his dorm smell bad, never wear clothes, are rarely seen washing their hands or showering, don't flush toilets, and don't clean up after themselves (A Miami Student). This student also has a Chinese student as a roommate, and states that Miami is enrolling these types of students "to make money off of them," which is "doing a disservice to everyone" (A Miami Student). These depictions of Chinese students puts all Chinese students in a bad light that represents them as "uncivilized" and "savages" that cannot or do not want to take care of their personal hygiene. According to many students, they don't behave like the "civilized" students on campus, which fosters in the idea that they should not be enrolled at this university. These ideas placed on international students, specifically Chinese, exemplify the characteristics of yellow peril and how they are placed below whites and "civilized" people on campus.

Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member portrays elements of the model minority myth as he/she complains about international students' lack of motivation and work, which translates into their lack of productivity in the classroom. Since they are not being productive, they are not acting as the model minority or using self-discipline, which is what is and what has been expected of Asian Americans. When America was worried about the abundance and effects of racial minorities in the previous century, one minority - the Chinese Americans - was said to win "wealth and respect by dint of their own hard work" (Okihiro 140). The myth says that they did not ask for help from anyone and used their own resources to advance themselves, therefore it is expected that many Asians, particularly Chinese, are able to advance in society and culture without help or guidance from anyone or anything. This aspect of the model minority myth is shown indirectly through this article, and many students and faculty members at Miami have touched upon it through comments and published articles in response. One anonymous student stated that this institution "wants international students that will work hard, be respectful, and be able to share their culture," which is hard when they can't speak well (Anonymous). This student is supporting the idea of Asian Americans as the model minority. Since Asian Americans are thought to be self-disciplined and self-helping, it would make sense that many Americans believe that Asians and international students don't need extra resources and/or organizations to help them succeed at our institution. There are some resources available to international students on campus, but as an institution and a community, "there are definitely more things we can do" to help them feel welcome and engaged in our society (Jiang). Assuming that the international students can be successful without any help supports the idea of the model minority myth, and since there are international students that are struggling academically and socially, more organizations and resources could become available to international students as a way to counteract the myth.

In responses to the original article, there have been international students that have represented as opposition to the model minority myth. In Youxuan Lucy Jiang's article explaining her experience as an international student, she used her experiences to further complicate and oppose the claims made by Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member (Jiang). She said that "portraying a group of students as a burden actually hurts the university itself because it creates a contradiction of Miami's mission" as a university, which includes values encouraged by faculty and students to engage in research and discovery (Jiang). Another international student shared her experiences as an international student at Miami and in Shanghai in which she states that "international students are being put under a microscope to a certain extent" and that the issues presented by Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member are issues that can be applied to the "entire student population of Miami University" and not just the international students (An International Student). The publication of these opinions by international students shows an opposition to the model minority myth since the original "construction of the model minority was based on the political silence of Asia America" (Lee 151). The model minority was thought to be politically silent, so when these international students and many others voice their opinions about this public matter, they are departing from the model minority myth.

As Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member portrayed Chinese and international students as yellow peril and the model minority myth, it can be understood that these concepts and forms of characterization "form a circular relationship that moves in either direction" (Okihiro 142). At the same time Chinese students are thought of as "a burden" and "dead weight," they are expected to be productive and self-disciplined despite the public's overgeneralized comments about their work ethic and performance in the classroom and society. If they happen to be more respectful in the classroom, work hard, and remain silent, they would represent the model minority. In an instant, however, the tables could turn and they would be seen as yellow peril and "dead weight" once again. This cycle would keep continuing, as it did and still does with Asian Americans in our country. A Miami University faculty member exemplified this current and "seamless continuum" of yellow peril and the model minority myth in the article "Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons."

Works Cited

MiamiStudent

A Miami Student. "Re: Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons." MiamiStudent. Miami University, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

An International Student. "Re: Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons." MiamiStudent. Miami University, 5 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

Anonymous. "Re: Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons." MiamiStudent. Miami University, 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Anonymous Concerned Faculty Member. "Admitting International Students for the Wrong Reasons." The Miami Student [Oxford, OH] 4 Nov. 2014. Print.

Jiang, Youxuan L. "A Chinese Student Responds to Concerns and Controversy Regarding International Students." The Miami Student [Oxford, OH] 14 Nov. 2014. Print.

Lee, Robert. "The Cold War Origins of the Model Minority Myth." Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture. Temple University Press, 1999. 145-179. Print.

Okihiro, Gary Y. Margins and Mainstreams: Asians in American History and Culture. Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 2014. Print.

Quaye, Stephen J. "A Miami Faculty Member Paints a Different Picture of International Students." The Miami Student [Oxford, OH] 7 Nov. 2014. Print.