Word: mold
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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Michael M. Luo's article ("Asian-Americans: Breaking the Mold," Scrutiny, Feb. 1, 1995) parades in front of the reader a handful of Asian Americans who are ostensibly "breaking the mold," almost as a novel zoological phenomenon. In particular, he contrasts the prevalent pre-med image of Asian Americans with the exciting new venues that they find themselves in: high-rank campus publishing, student businesses and--of all impressive things--the Undergraduate Council...
Unfortunately, instead of providing evidence that stereotypes are disintegrating, we can't help but get the impression that nothing at all has changed. For instance, are Asian Americans' motivations for pursuing a career in medicine changing? Are they breaking out of that mold that seems always to have constrained them to Biochemistry? The answer, of course...
...because, as one student put it, "My father really wants me to go into medicine. He's given up too much in absolute terms for me...It'd be too cold not to honor that wish." It is quite another matter to claim that this mentality somehow breaks any mold...
...fate deals us--"I am Chinese, so I must study medicine or ethnicity because that's my responsibility to my family and to my race"--or do we define ourselves, and in so doing, enrich the aggregate definition of being Asian American? Are we truly interested in breaking the mold, or merely being better able to rationalize it? Rationalizing is what these alleged "mold breakers...
...done here. Instead of good role models, we get the same tired, stereotypical Asian tragedies. The issues of linking ethnic identity with life choices should be recognized for what they are. They should be addressed and explored honestly, instead of being insultingly passed off as evidence of Asian-American mold-breaking. We're just further deepening the mold here, instead of smashing it to bits...