Ronald Takaki's "The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority" is a fantastic piece of writing. He is an Asian American himself so he has much insight on this topic of superiority. He wishes to illustrate that the perceptions of Asian Americans as a "model minority" (103) are not entirely accurate. A "model minority" is a stereotype that is defined as an oversimplified conception, opinion, or image. Although Takaki doesn't state this definition, he proves it precisely in his article. Takaki indicates that society has indulged the idea that Asian American shopkeepers are entrepreneurs and other Asian Americans have ease in gaining admissions into universities, however this is not the case. The percentage of success for Asian Americans is four percent lower than other groups and many are on welfare. In his article, Takaki argues a strong case through his method of statistics. .
Takaki states a theory that Asian Americans have been characterized in the media as "successful in gaining admission to universities" (103). His point is that no one school student in the United States is the same, however the media has made Asian Americans in schools out to be superior students. Takaki is also infuriated at the United State's politicians using broad assumptions why one race seems to succeed and others who cannot. Statements such as, "If Asian Americans can make it, why can't African Americans?" (130) add resentment towards Asian Americans. Asians have been taunted as successful entrepreneurs, however comparing family incomes is even more deceiving. .
One of Takaki's arguments is that the facts used to compare Asian Americans to other groups are misleading. The essay states that, "while Japanese American men in California earned an average income comparable to Caucasian men in the 1980, they did so only by acquiring more education and working hours"(103). Takaki did find that some Asians did have a higher income than Caucasian men did in 1980, however they had more workers per family.
