The model minority stereotype goes something like this: Asian Americans, while socially and emotionally awkward, enjoy an innate ability to succeed because of “Asian values” which emphasize hard work and education.
This generalization is rife with inaccuracy. The term itself ignores the immense diversity of Asia, a vast continent comprised of billions of people and hundreds of ethnic groups. It also seems to imply that other cultures don’t share these values. In my best estimation, “Asian values” results from a reference to “Confucian” values, a system of philosophy, ethics and theory of government used as the basis for civil service examinations in Imperial China (also employed in Vietnam, Japan and Korea).
