Stanford-Bound San Diegan Discusses Asian Stereotypes

Noah Lee

(Editor's note:  Noah Lee is a high school student from the Class of 2026 at The Cambridge School.  Noah is a recipient of 2024 API Internship in Journalism. )

SAN DIEGO — Kyle Tianshi, an 18-year-old from San Diego, reads off the comments aloud, one by one. 
“Someone commented ‘Asian privilege,’ and someone replied with ‘forced Asian privilege, every Asian friend I have was forced to excel by their parents.’ Some person said ‘Koreans are the best,’ which is a little off, since I’m Chinese. Someone said ‘affirmative action scholarship.’” 

While Tianshi, winner of numerous academic awards, is reciting online comments posted under his interview with CBS 8 San Diego after being named a Presidential Scholar, to him, the comments he reads are the symptom of a larger problem, one that pervades the academic space beyond just himself. 
Tianshi is referencing what’s known as the model minority stereotype, which is the idea that Asians are inherently gifted and hardworking. For decades, the model minority stereotype has been used to describe Asians as the minority ethnic group in the U.S. that has achieved the highest level of socioeconomic success. 
However, although the idea of being a “model minority” may seem positive at first glance, Tianshi explains that for many, this stereotype often feels like an expectation. When he does succeed, those who direct the stereotype at him are undervaluing the hard work it often takes for him to accomplish what he does. 
“It was a little surprising to see people comment that; it’s weird that that would be their first assumption. It minimizes the amount of effort I put into some of these things, to say ‘You’re Asian, so it just comes naturally. It’s not like you exert any effort,’” he says.  “It’s really not good to put an entire race in boxes like that.” 
Tianshi explains that this stereotype can also create unnecessary pressures in a teenager’s academic life, calling stereotypes a “self-fulfilling prophecy, where you almost hear the same stereotype so much that you think you have to meet those expectations.” 
Statistics support this idea on a broader scale. A 2003 study found that 47% of Asian American young adolescents experience depression, compared to 30% of white American young adolescents. 
Further, the model minority stereotype is misleading. It often generalizes all Asian ethnicities into one group, hiding the fact that the Asian Americans are the ethnic group in the U.S. with the largest income inequality.
Additionally, Tianshi finds that other stereotypes about Asians pervade the academic sphere. Even extracurriculars that at first glance seem to run contrary to current stereotypes can spawn new ones. For example, he recounts his experiences with high school debate, an extracurricular that might seem to counter the stereotype that Asians are quiet and politically disengaged. 
“It is interesting because it does feel like I fit the stereotype. I’m very introverted, and I don’t like to talk much. Debate was a great way for me to be less quiet, and there are lots of great Asian debaters out there, so I guess it’s definitely a way for some of us introverts to get out of our shells,” he says.
At the same time, for Tianshi, it almost feels like Asians “can’t win,” because the moment one stereotype is resolved, a new one forms. In the context of high school debate, he says that the same people who had previously generalized Asians as “quiet” now attribute their success in an activity like debate to their ethnicity, explaining that “people start saying when you win that, ‘You’re Asian, therefore automatically good at debate.’”
Although experiences like these lead Tianshi to admit that it’s likely “impossible” to completely eliminate stereotyping, he does see society making steps in the right direction. On a national scale, there has been a recent uptick of Asians in politics (Kamala Harris’ nomination at the top of the Democratic Presidential ticket, for example). In a more specific academic setting, although stereotyping may have occurred along the backdrop of his debate and overall high school career, he finds that everything was still an overall positive experience. Additionally, he recognizes that many high-achieving communities, including his own, try their best to limit the pressure to succeed. 
“A lot of high-achieving people I know are very kind and helpful and happy to help out,” he says. 
Because of this, Tianshi still remains driven in his academic endeavors. Besides winning and placing highly in numerous large scientific competitions, such as the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, he has also founded his own environmental organization, Clearwater Innovation, and published several books. This fall, he will begin college at Stanford University. 
He attributes much of his success to supportive figures around him. However, he does acknowledge his perspective may be unique, and says that “many people certainly must feel the pressure from their parents and the people around them; it’s something that always happens in a competitive environment.” 
Overall, Tianshi hopes that everyone, whether Asian or non-Asian, parent or student, can help contribute to a more open and welcoming learning environment. 
“I hope we can all be considerate about how others might feel.”