| Though the term "model minority" was only coined in the 1960s to apply to Asian-Americans, in the white imagination, a "model" way to be a minority has always existed. This model has gone through various iterations from the "happy" blacks of the antebellum years to supposedly over-achieving Asian-Americans of the 1960s. I argue that we are witnessing the emergence of a new model minority that includes not only Asian-Americans but other high-achieving minorities as well. This model minority is characterized by economic success, formal education, American values, and conservative racial politics or a complete silence about race. Because an inability to speak up about racial injustice is a dangerous prerequisite for success, I seek to explore ways to subvert this crucial characteristic of the model minority. I use King of the Hill's Souphanousiphones to demonstrate this "subversive model minority" and its consequences. |
