Molds From Society

       Tell me why, that as kid I thought it was my role to be the smart, friendly, and dependable Asian kid. I think it all stemmed from the fact that any type of Asian representation I would see on TV would be just that. For example, take Glenn from the Walking Dead as an example. He's known for being the brains of the group, nothing else. So no wonder I always thought that I had to fit into this mold of being "Asian". It kind of relates to the piece Disability that we've recently read.  Nancy Mairs talks about her experiences and lack of accurate representation of disabled people have altered her life. 

I believe that society tends to sort people into certain categories by just judging their looks. I know this because I can catch myself also doing this to a fault. But what Mairs argues is that there is more to someone than just their disabilites. And I totally agree. Yes, someone may have more physical advantadges than others, but that does not make them superior to the person who is less able.

    Although I do not know the difficulties of being disabled, I can somewhat relate when it comes to being the odd one out. In my elementary school, I think there were only like 5 east asian kids there. And I honestly did not feel the difference until middle school. That was when I noticed certain cliques forming. For example, the band kids, orchestra kids, etc. But I could never find my own clique.

Comments

  1. Ur Fav Cousin ToroFebruary 2, 2025 at 1:51 PM

    Throughout high school I’ve been exposed to many pieces that challenge the idea of model minorities, and why it’s harmful to create such stereotypes around certain races. I think this ties well to your experience of wanting to mold into the intellectual Asian that’s often represented in media. I’d imagine it’s disheartening for one to realize that they don’t fit in with the positive attributes associated with their community. So I’d agree that there’s more to people than meets the eye. After all, the first thing I thought when “Highly Smart Asians” was written on the board was “not me :)”.

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  2. AmberFebruary 2, 2025 at 8:31 PM

    I definitely relate to you feeling like you have to fit into a mold in order to be something. As you said, for asians we definitely have the expectation that we’re supposed to be smarter than the rest of the population and for me, it’s a stereotype I have a hard time agreeing with sometimes. Although I’ve never seen it ‘enforced’ in a sense by others, it still feels like something I should be simply because of how common it is (or at least it feels like it is) in my life.

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