The Model Minority Trap: How ‘Positive’ Stereotypes Harm Asian Americans

The model minority stereotype is often dismissed as a “compliment” but creates real harm for Chinese Americans and Asian Americans more broadly. New data from the 2025 State of Chinese Americans survey reveals Chinese Americans who regularly encounter these assumptions report significantly more psychological distress than those who face no discrimination at all. These seemingly positive assumptions mask significant disparities—and the harm compounds. Join Committee of 100 for the third installment of our 2025 State of Chinese Americans webinar series, featuring new survey data on how these “positive” stereotypes are associated with measurable psychological distress and mask significant mental health disparities within Asian American communities. Derald Wing Sue, a pioneering researcher on racial microaggressions and Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University, and Emma Zang, a State of Chinese Americans researcher and Associate Professor of Sociology at Yale University, will unpack why this stereotype persists, who it hurts most, and what practitioners and policymakers can do differently. This webinar is for anyone who has heard the model minority stereotype and wants to learn more about its consequences. Attendees will come away with new survey data and a deeper understanding of how this stereotype shapes mental health, public attitudes, and institutional blind spots, and practical guidance for more culturally responsive engagement with Asian American communities.