HW_Immigration_Report_Model_Minority_Myth_John_Cho_23Fall

Humanities 2319, Professor Stamper Lone Star College-CyFair, p. 1 HW -- Immigration Questions Questions for the Immigration Report/Statistics reading: 1. What is the tone of this report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Press? Give a few quoted words or phrases as examples of the tone. 2. How does this report define “integration?” Write several sentences about this, including how the report describes the “process.” The report defines integration as embracing an American identity and citizenship, protecting the US through service in its military, fostering technological innovation, harvesting its crops, and enriching everything from the nation’s cuisine to its universities, music, and art. It also claims that the successful integration of immigrants and their children contributes to economic vitality and to a vibrant and ever-changing culture. The panel defines integration as the process by which members of immigrant groups and host societies come to resemble one another. 3. In the “Education” section, what is a key factor that determines the level of education the second generation, or children of immigrants, reaches? Write at least a sentence explaining this. Second generation members of immigrant groups meet or exceed the schooling level of typical third+ generation native-born Americans. 4. Under “Employment and Earnings,” what does the report assert about the high employment rate of Hispanic [the report’s term] immigrant men? What is a negative that impacts all immigrants? Hispanic men are making gains once their lower education is taken into account. Earnings assimilation is lower for Hispanic immigrants than for others. Immigrant men have higher employment rates than the second and higher generations and is especial dramatic among the least educated immigrants who are much more likely to be employed than comparably educated native born men, indicating that they are filling an important niche in our economy. 5. For “Occupations,” what are some conclusions overall about first and second generations? Some conclusions about first and second generations are the occupational distributions of the first and second generations reveal a picture of intergenerational improvement similar to that for education and earnings. Second generation children of immigrants from Mexico and central America have made large leaps in occupations terms. 6. Describe the health conditions of immigrants. Do these conditions surprise you? Why or why not? Foreign-born immigrants have better infant, child, and adult health outcomes than the US-born population in generals and better outcomes than US-born members of their ethnic group. This does surprise me a bit because, as a child of immigrants, my family has no health insurance, and we haven’t gone to the doctors in over a decade. Most other members in my family also don’t have great health conditions except for a few exceptions. 7. In the section on “Crime” the report states, “Increased prevalence of immigrants is associated with __” -- what kind of crime rates? Does that surprise you? Why or why not? “Increased prevalence of immigrants is associated with lower crime rates.” That doesn’t surprise me. Americans fear that immigrants are causing crime rates to skyrocket but from personal experience and what I’ve seen reported on the news, Americans are the one rising their own crime rates. 8. For the “Legal Status” section, write 3-4 sentences about factors that affect integration. Over half of those receiving lawful permanent resident status in 2013 were already residing in the us and adjusted their status to permanent from a visa that allowed them to work or study only temporarily in the US. The immigrations impasse has led to a plethora of laws targeting the undocumented at local, state, and federals levels. The current system includes restriction on the receipt of public benefits and those restrictions have created barriers to the successful integrations of the US citizen children of the undocumented. 9. How are naturalization rates in the U.S. different from other countries that receive large numbers of

Humanities 2319, Professor Stamper Lone Star College-CyFair, p. 2 immigrants? The naturalization rate among US immigrants raises slightly but is still well below many European countries and far lower than other traditional countries such as Australia and Canada. Questions for the Model Minority Myth document: 10. How does the report by New York University “pokes holes in stereotypes?” The report largely avoids the debates over both affirmative action and the heavy representation of Asian-Americans at the most selective colleges. It points out that the term Asian-American is extraordinarily broad. 11. What does Dr. Robert T. Teranishi state is a goal of the report? The goal is to have people understand that the population is very diverse. 12. The report quotes W.E.B. Du Bois! What do you remember about him from our studies in this class? 13. Give the quote from this paragraph that defines what a model minority is (a “good minority”). For Asian-Americans, seen as the good minority that seeks advancement through quiet diligence in study and work and by not making waves. 14. What are some systemic failings the article mentions? Lumping together all Asian groups masks the poverty and academic difficulties of some subgroups. 15. What groups have been “pitted against” one another with the model minority and the school systems? The report said that model minority perceptions pitted Asian-Americans against African- Americans. Questions for Model Minority Stereotypes & Counseling Page: 16. List several qualities of the Model Minority Stereotype of Asian Americans. They ask if you’ve heard any of the following stereotypes, state what the Model Minority Stereotype is, and ask, “Well, isn’t that a good thing to live up to?” 17. Have you heard any of these stereotypes before? If so, where did you hear about them, and what was your experience? I’ve heard of most of the stereotypes that were listed on the page. I have mostly heard them through film and TV or social media. These insults haven’t been towards me, but to Asian- Americans. 18. What are two of the real consequences for Asian American college students? Questions for the John Cho essay: 19. What does John Cho say was an assumption for him as he was growing up? Cho said an assumption for him growing up was that once his family became American enough, there would be no need for warnings and that they would be safe. 20. What happened to Cho’s friend Kal Penn when they were flying across the country? His friend, Kal, would be pulled aside for a “random” search while they were flying across the country. 21. Cho writes that “Asian Americans are experiencing such a [a reality check] moment right now”; what does he say about how the pandemic affects him and other Asian Americans? The pandemic reminded them that their belonging is conditional; one moment they were Americans and the next they were foreigners who “brought the virus here.” 22. How does Cho say the model minority affects Asian Americans? He says that the “model minority” myth can provide the illusion of raceless-less and putting select Asians on a pedestal silences those who question systemic injustice. 23. And what does he write about the model minority and the status quo? The model minority myth helps maintain a status quo that works against people of all colors. 24. What does Cho say is the “most insidious effect of this myth?” the most insidious effect of this myth is that it silences them and seduces Asian Americans and recruits them to act on its behalf. It converts parents to encourage them to accept it.