Definition of Model Minority
(noun) A stereotypical view of an ethnic, racial, or religious minority group that is assumed to have achieved a high level of educational, economical, and professional success.
Model Minority Pronunciation
Syllabification: mod·el mi·nor·i·ty
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /mAHd-l muh-nOR-uh-tee/
- British English – /mOdl mie-nOr-i-tee/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈmɑdəl maɪˈnɔrəti/
- British English – /ˈmɒdl maɪˈnɒrɪti/
Usage Notes
- Plural: model minorities
- Attributed to William Peterson who used the term in “Success Story: Japanese American Style” published by New York Times Magazine in 1966.
Additional Information
- Word origin of “model” and “minority” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Chou, Rosalind S., and Joe R. Feagin. 2015. The Myth of the Model Minority: Asian Americans Facing Racism. 2nd ed. Boulder, CO: Paradigm.
- Fong, Timothy P. 2008. The Contemporary Asian American Experience: Beyond the Model Minority. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Gao, Fang. 2010. Becoming a Model Minority: Schooling Experiences of Ethnic Koreans in China. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
- Hartlep, Nicholas Daniel. 2013. The Model Minority Stereotype: Demystifying Asian American Success. Charlotte, NC: IAP.
- Lee, Stacey J. 1996. Unraveling the “Model Minority” Stereotype: Listening to Asian American Youth. 2nd ed. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Li, Guofang, and Lihshing Wang, eds. 2009. Model Minority Myth Revisited: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Demystifying Asian American Educational Experiences. Charlotte, NC: IAP.
- Wu, Ellen D. 2014. The Color of Success: Asian Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- Yook, Eunkyong Lee. 2013. Culture Shock for Asians in U.S. Academia: Breaking the Model Minority Myth. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
- Model Minority Stereotype for Asian Americans – University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center: cmhc.utexas.edu
- Unraveling the Model Minority Myth of Asian American Students: education.com
Related Terms
Cite the Definition of Model Minority
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “model minority.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved May 29, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/model-minority/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
model minority. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/model-minority/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “model minority.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/model-minority/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“model minority.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 29 May. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/model-minority/>.