Each May, the Enthuse Foundation celebrates Asian American Heritage Month by highlighting AAPI founders and showcasing how their heritage helped inspire their businesses. Check out "AAPI Founders Create Businesses to Inform and Showcase Heritage" and "Embracing Culture and Choosing to Educate Despite Discrimination" to learn directly from founders about their culture and its impact on their business.
However, this year we wanted to discuss an often-unspoken reality that’s unique to AAPI founders—the idea of the model minority and living up to those expectations.
What is the model minority, and how was the concept developed?
The term first appeared in a 1966 New York Times article when sociologist and then professor at the University of California, Berkley, William Petersen, coined the term "model minority" while praising Japanese Americans for "enduring the most discrimination and worst injustices" and achieving great success in America "by their own almost totally unaided effort."
Even though the sentiment was intended to be a positive commentary about Asian Americans, it has led to unrealistic expectations that many still feel to this day.
When one decides to become an entrepreneur, there will undoubtedly be a sense of pressure to succeed, but how does that translate when you are battling the "model minority” stereotype, are a woman founder, and are trying to build a CPG brand? We asked some of our AAPI founders for their thoughts.
Kimberle Lau, founder of Bake Me Healthy, candidly shared:
Others feel like the label adds to racism and creates unnecessary conflict among other underrepresented communities. Here's how Candice Choi, founder of Geem, describes the tension.
There's been an increase in AAPI CPG founders, especially since 2020, which helps provide authentic representation in stores. Nadia Spellman, founder of Dumpling Daughter, explained the reality of AAPI-owned brands and how the landscape is changing in a NOSH.com article: "The dearth of authentic Asian foods in the CPG market is the result of various cultural forces at play. Some of it is simply due to the lack of familiarity mainstream Americans had with Asian cuisines for decades, which brought with it stereotypes and confusion. Past generations of Asian food entrepreneurs often catered to undeveloped palates and prioritized convenience and affordability over quality, creating an Americanized version of the cuisine that is ripe for maturation."
Spellman expects the tide to continue to turn.
"Thirty years ago, it was Chinese takeout with General Gao's," she said. "I think in 15 or 20 years, you're going to see the change and the shift that the American palate is growing, and they constantly want something more."
The limited AAPI representation or role models in entrepreneurship impacted Marilyn Yang, co-founder of Popadelics (2022 Pitch Competition Finalist).
AAPI represents many different ethnicities, among them Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, and Samoan. However, the model minority term used to describe East Asian cultures can isolate other backgrounds.
Pallavi Pande, founder of Dtocs, described this complexity.
Pallavi also shared tips on ways other founders, regardless of ethnic identity, can celebrate their heritage through their companies.
·Let your business tell a story that is authentically yours.
·Break stereotypes by demonstrating the rich, varied contributions your background brings to your enterprise.
·Stay connected to your roots.
·But be open to adapting and evolving your vision to meet the needs of a global market.
Bottom line: The model minority (and most) stereotypes are negative and bring additional pressure to an AAPI entrepreneur who is already trying to build a legacy brand. While the label won't disappear overnight, the more attention brought to the unfair expectations, the more perceptions will change. Let's celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage and the incredible founders showcasing their backgrounds authentically.
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