To hide behind racism, Florida Republicans passed American Asian Pacific Islander (AAPI) History in May 2023. Yes, that Florida, where the Governor signed a ban on African American history and Critical Race Theory. It makes sense, though, in the context of white supremacy.
Warning: Big Words and Phrases Ahead. But we’ll break it down.
An important force in Asian American racialization is the invention of the model minority myth. The model minority myth is based on perpetuating anti-black oppression. On top of that, the theory of Asian American racial triangulation teaches us that Asian Americans are typically used as a racial wedge group to stabilize the racialized structure.
Some Definitions
Asian American racial triangulation is a theory that seeks to explain racial dynamics involving Asian Americans in the United States. For instance, Asian Americans may be seen as “better” by white society relative to other racial minorities, like African Americans or Latinx people.
The model minority myth is a stereotype that doesn’t accurately reflect how different and unique each person’s experiences are. Everyone’s life is different, and it’s not fair to make broad generalizations.
Examples include thinking that all old people are slow or forgetful. Or that all teenagers are rebellious. It’s important to remember that stereotypes can be hurtful and unfair because they don’t consider each person’s unique traits or experiences.
The stereotypical thinking, in this case, is that all Asian Americans are universally successful, particularly in terms of education and economic attainment. While it may seem positive, it creates harmful expectations and masks the diversity and struggles of the Asian American community.
The Wedge Issue
So the wedge issue in this case then is in Florida, passing required AAPI History education is compatible with banning Black American history. Because Florida Republicans are thinking they can use American Asians to continue anti-black oppression.
The Florida Governor and the Florida Republican party can now use this passage of required AAPI History education to say, “We’re not racist. Look what we’re doing for the American Asian Pacific Islander community.” It’s a Republican party tactic of hiding their racism using the American Asian community.