1. Teachback
Veronica Grenon
3/20/12

2. Introduction
 The 2000 U.S. Census shows us that Asian
and Pacific Islander Americans have
evolved and become more complex.
 Between 1980 and 1990, the total Asian
American population increased 107%.
 Asians and Pacific Islanders represent at
least 23 ethnic groups and more than 100
dialects.
 With this growing population throughout the
U.S. it is important to
acknowledge, understand and respect their
distinct cultural values.

3. Demographics
 Subgroupings for Asian and Pacific Islanders.
(According to the 2000 U.S. Census)
Asian Americans: Chinese, Japanese,
Filipino, Korean
Southeast Asians: Cambodian, Hmong,
Vietnamese, Laotian, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean
Asian Indian: Bengalese, Bharat, Dravidian,
East Indian, Goanese
Other Asian: Bangladeshi, Burmese, Indonesian,
Pakistani, Sri Lankan

4. Cultural Competence with
Client Groups (social workers)
 Cultural awareness: The social workers’ understanding and
identification of the critical cultural values important to the client
system and to themselves.
 Knowledge acquisition: The social workers’ understanding of how
these cultural values function as strengths in the client’s functioning
and treatment planning.
 Skill development: The social workers’ ability to match services
that support the identified cultural values and then to incorporate
them in the appropriate interventions.
 Inductive learning: The social workers’ continued quest to seek
solutions, which includes finding other indigenous interventions and
matching cultural values to choose appropriate western
interventions.

5. Discriminatory Experiences of
Asian Immigrants
 The first Asian immigrant group to enter the U.S. was
the Chinese in the 1840s.
 Mostly single men looking for their “mountain of
gold.” Their reality in California in the 1800s and
1900s was hostile confrontations, exclusions, and
even fatalities because of riots against them.
 The next group of immigrants to arrive were the
Japanese, Korean, and Filipinos who did not fare
much better but did learn from the experiences of the
Chinese.
 Japanese women were able to join their husbands
and form a “family society” in the U.S., but many also
came as “picture brides” or prostitutes.

6. Impact of Oppression
 “The United States Commission of Civil Rights
reported that in the 1990s Asian Americans faced
discrimination and barriers to equal opportunities
because of the “model minority” stereotype that
wrongly labels some Asian groups with high average
family incomes, educational achievement, and
occupational status as representing all or most
Asian American family situations.”

7. Cultural Awareness
 Sanders predicted a decade ago that the services for API
would include the following considerations:
1. More changes and intergenerational problems impacting
parents, children, and the elderly.
2. A need for a more holistic perspective in services
addressing “life, relationships, and services” and less of
a “dichotomy between the body and mind, psyche and
soma.”
3. An emphasis on change that comes from a “preventive
and development perspective” committed to “maximizing
the strengths and capacities of individuals, families, and
communities.”
4. A cross-cultural, pluralistic perspective in working with
clients and services.
5. Greater emphasis on “total family and family support
systems.”

8. Knowledge Acquisition
 In the Chinese culture, Chung offers the Confucian
model of social transformation. It is a model for
social change used in Asian countries that has been
adapted for use in the universal generalist social
work practice. There are seven steps in the model to
change individuals and society.
1. The investigation of things or variables
2. The completion of knowledge
3. The sincerity of thought
4. The rectifying of the heart
5. The cultivation of the person
6. The regulation of the family
7. The governance of the state

9. Conclusion
 Social and economic justice
needs to be achieved for the
Asian and Pacific Islander
groups because so many
discriminatory, racist, and
oppressive experiences have
been imposed upon these
people and other ethnic
minorities in the United States.
 Macro-level shifts in attitudes
and policies need to be made
in order to achieve culturally
competent practice with Asian
and Pacific islander clients.

10. “Unraveling the Model Minority
Myth of Asian American
Students” Brandon Yoo
 This article discusses the stereotype that
suggests that Asian Americans are more
academically, economically, and socially
successful than any other racial minority
groups.
 People believe this because of their unique
Asian cultural values that emphasize hard
work, strong family values, and/or stronger
belief in the American meritocracy.

11. Article continued…
 Although this is one of the less offense
stereotypes, it is simply not true.
 There are three examples listed that debunk
the model minority myth.
1. The myth ignores the heterogeneity of Asian
American groups and their significantly varied
levels of success.
2. The myth neglects history and the role of
selective immigration of Asian Americans.
3. The myth fails to capture the more complex
representation of Asian Americans in the
education system.

12. Article continued…
 The article goes on to discuss the
implications of The Model Minority Label.
 There is a piece of this section that reallt
stood out to me.
 Yoo states “The group comparison
superficially compliments the success of
one group, as it implicitly points to failure of
another group. It creates a distorted portrait
of all Asian American students as hard
working, studious, persevering without
complaint; while all other students of color
are lazy, disruptive, and complaining.”

13. “Coping with Asian American
Stereotypes” Linh Lam
 This article discusses Lam’s story being
Vietnamese herself. He talks about encounters
he has had with people that are ignorant about
his culture and how to be culturally competent.
 My favorite part of this article is a fact that
someone pointed out to Lam.
 “Just because people don’t have the luxury of
being exposed to different cultures doesn’t
mean that they are at fault.” It says he should
be more worried about the people that grip
onto that ignorance and are proud of it.

14. Article continued…
 Lam discusses his experiences with
people while working at a bakery and
waitressing. People would actually mime
their orders to her because they
assumed she didn’t speak english.
When in actuality she speaks english
very well and was born in
Columbus, Ohio.

15. Question
 How can Asian Americans (and other
groups) overcome stereotypes? Is there
a way to help educate people better
about other cultures so that we can all
be a little more culturally competent?

16. References
 Lum, D. (2010). Culturally competent practice, a
framework for understanding diverse groups and
justice issues. Brooks/Cole Pub Co.
 Yoo, B. (2006). Unraveling the model minority myth
of asian american students. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/unravelin
g-minority-myth-asian-students/
 Lam, L. (2009). Coping with asian american
stereotypes. Retrieved from
http://www.adoptvietnam.org/parenting/asian-
stereotypes.htm