Sociological Meanings of Basic Concepts

Two replies or critical comments to other students' postings(Response below). These replies should have a minimum of 150 words each. Read each student posting and provide a critical comment for each one. No apa required, No reference, all in your own words.

STUDENT 1

While watching the videos From the Philippines to U S and Philippine Doctor rural and Angry girl Lela Lee I realize the reason why Asians are portrayed as a model minority.   One of the reasons is because Asian American community have done remarkably well in achievement of well  beings and certain level of success in the country, such as, good education, good jobs opportunities and earing a good living.  However, the truth is that, Asian American are also target of so much prejudice, stereotype and discrimination.  The persistent belief that all Asians are smart puts a huge amount of pressure on many Asian American.  As a result of that unrealistic  expectation,  they have the highest high school dropout in the nation.

Asian Americans are also iincreasingly becoming the targets of hates crimes because of racial discrimination.  They are the fastest growing victims of hate crimes in the United States, although they have an extraordinary level of socioeconomic achievement  that does not mean that they no longer experience to be reject in the society for their Asian ethnicity.

Actually, the process of achieving socioeconomic success among Asian American community is very complex, there are many examples of prosperity within the Asian American population.   Never less, in many ways they still have to deal with racism issues, social inequality and institutional discrimination that other minorities groups of color have to deal as well.  In other words what this really means is that the image that the entire Asian American community is the "model minority" is a myth.

Asian Americans the same as the rest of immigrant community in this country went trough in the process of assimilation of Anglo-culture or mixing their own roots with American way of life.  Now days, the evolution of American identity in the context of America society becomes more diverse and globalized.  Because in case of Asian Americans, they have the opportunity to use their transitional cultural ties and networks to make meaning contribution to improve American society.

STUDENT 2

Asians are portrayed as model minority because people believe that the stereotype is that they are super smart. Being smart gives you many opportunities that “regular” people don’t get like better jobs. This isn’t true though because all minorities come to America with the same disadvantage. It is up to them to better their lives and not just think that things will be handed to them.

        Some negative implications of this label for the Asian minority group would be setting the bar too high. When other Asians migrated to the US they are expected to be just as successful as the others but this isn’t the case. If anything, according to the US census bureau, Asian-Americans are less successful than whites. I believe that this idea of model minority is a reflection of society and it has nothing to do with your race. People make their own decision about life whether they would like to unsuccessful or push themselves to be the best they could.

       All minorities are affected by discrimination in the US. This is a stereotype that really just puts them in an unsuccessful category before anyone ever gives them a chance. No only do minorities have to be better they also have to prove themselves to others.

        Some of the dilemmas that Asian people face according to the movies “From the Philippines to the US. Filipino Doctors in Rural America” and “Angry Little Asian Girl, Lela Lee” are that Caucasians and Asian race shouldn’t be together. Every race should stick to their own kind. Another dilemma that Asian faced was that whites saw them as outsiders and that they should change to fit in. They may feel pressured by society to be like everyone else but what the movies showed that you should be yourself. Asians and minorities groups are capabile of anything any other group is. All groups should work together to be one and not see race as how to distinguish people from one another.