Downside of an Image of Success

The nation’s Asian American population has long been acclaimed as the “model minority” for its achievements in education, the professions and business. But this is a diverse group, composed of both immigrants and U.S.-born citizens of Asian and Pacific heritage, and has had its share of problems. Many have found the American dream elusive, and even some of those who achieve it are paying a price. The stereotypical image of success has made Asian Americans the subjects of an alarming rise in hate crimes, ranging from insulting graffiti to murder.

In 1995, hate crimes against Asian Americans were up 80% in Southern California, a region that accounted for a quarter of all reported cases of anti-Asian crimes nationwide. The Southern California toll rose from 63 cases to 113, according to a study by the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, a Washington-based civil rights group. Nationwide, the hate-crime incidents totaled 458.

The Washington consortium cited xenophobia and fear of economic competition as causes for the rising violence. A newly released Census Bureau report also points to economic factors as a probable cause. It showed that business ownership by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders grew twice as fast as the national average from 1987 to 1992. A third of these businesses are in California. The rapid rate of increase reflects population growth, entrepreneurship and the state’s rising trade with Asia, analysts say. And, unfortunately, the animosity of some competing elements of society is rising as well.

Local, state and federal officials need to allocate greater resources to combat racially motivated crimes. It takes public education and tough law enforcement. Hate crimes in any community mean suffering for all through the ignorance, prejudice and insensitivity of a few.