BRIEF

“Choose your own topic.”

CONTEXT | A final project for “Intro to Infographics and Data Visualization” class during the first semester of University of Miami’s Interactive Media graduate program.

ROLE | Designer

TIMELINE | 3 Weeks

INSPIRATION | Personal Experience as an Asian American and as an educator

EXPLORING THE TOPIC

As an Asian American and as someone who is committed to exposing systemic oppression, I wanted to explore the stereotype that Asian Americans are a “Model Minority” and expose why the stereotype is a myth.

Exploring this topic has been ongoing and personal for me over the last five years. I started searching for resources on the Model Minority Myth after a classmate and person of color told me, “Talking about stereotypes, you are lucky that Asians are viewed as smart, focused, and hard-working. All you have to do is to live up to those expectations.” While I understood what she was expressing was that “at least” the stereotype that follows me is a “positive” one, I wanted her to know that upholding that stereotype is problematic, not just for Asian Americans, but for other minority groups as well.

In my former research, I found that it was challenging to find a succinct resource that compiles multiple pieces of complex data, historical facts, and theory that would fully explain the Model Minority phenomenon. ​​​​​​​

I wanted to create an infographic that would explore the components of the Model Minority Myth as holistically as possible.

How does the Model Minority Myth perpetuate Anti-Blackness?

RESEARCH

Part of the challenge in deconstructing the Model Minority Myth is that very limited data exists for separate Asian American ethnic groups. Typically, when data is shown for the Asian “race,” it is aggregated – meaning Indian Americans who experience the highest median annual household income (100K) and the highest rate of bachelor’s degree attainment (72%) are averaged with the metrics for Bhutanese Americans who have a median annual household income of 35K and a 9% bachelor’s degree attainment rate. Asian Americans experience the greatest disparities within any racial group in the U.S., and the ethnic groups who are not represented in the stereotypical Asian narrative are left behind with fewer resources because social service providers would not think they need them.

I was able to find the following resources, allowing me to disaggregate data and compare Asian Americans to Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics.

• Key Facts About Asian origin groups in the U.S. – Pew Research Center

• How data disaggregation matters for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – Equitable Growth

• Asian American Data Links – U.S. Census

In addition to referencing these data resources showing the disparity amongst different Asian ethnic groups, I wanted to show how the effect of strategic immigration policies (not superior foreign or ethnic traits) is the main reason for Asian American economic and educational success. I drew from the following resources.

• The reasons the U.S. became less racist toward Asian Americans – Washington Post

• Asian Americans During the Cold War – Rick Baldoz

• The Racial Triangulation of Asian Americans – Claire Jean Kim

DESIGN INSPIRATION

In researching, I found articles, such as this one from The Guardian, describing the immigration of Chinese railroad workers in the mid 1800s that featured photographs. In an effort to humanize this topic and also trace the history of how attitudes toward Asian Americans have changed over time, I wanted to feature photos from the past.

I also knew that the infographic would contain small multiples of data sets and a variety of sections, and so I drew inspiration from Francesco Franchi and Laura Cattaneo’s “Green Report and Global Report.” I thought the layout of the report flowed nicely while showing a variety of information.

INITIAL OUTLINE

When crafting my first outlines of the infographic, I knew that in the first section of the infographic, I wanted to feature the data typically shown when Asian Americans are described as a monolithic group. Here, I wanted to compare SAT scores, attainment of bachelor’s degrees, and median household income for all races. The second section would include disaggregated data for different Asian ethnic groups, and a third section would include a timeline showing historical policies that have set the foundation for the Model Minority Myth.

DRAFTS AND CRITIQUE

From the first iteration to the last, I continued to rework the infographic with the goal of providing a holistic understanding of how the Model Minority Myth had been intentionally cultivated to act as a wedge between Blacks and Whites. On my first draft, I received feedback on how best to show the disaggregated data for different Asian American ethnic groups. Originally, a pie chart showing the population percentages of Asian groups became a tree map in the second draft to increase clarity as well as create a visual balance within the graphic. Additionally, I reworked the events that were highlighted in the timeline in order to more specifically show how policies and media, rather than Asian ethnic traits were the biggest contributing factors to Asian American socio-economic success.

Prior to the last draft, I received feedback on the scatterplot comparing median household income and bachelor's degrees. I reworked it to include subtle lines in order to anchor the dots and give the graphic a more stable appearance. Lastly, I used the Adobe Illustrator pen tool to trace photos and create illustrations of an Asian American, White, and Black families in order add more detail to and humanize the graphic.​​​​​​​

REFLECTION

• Revisit your main point often in order to ensure that your copy mirrors what you want the reader to take away. There were many different key points the information I was finding could emphasize, but at the end of the day, I wanted the reader to know that while it may seem “true” and “ok” that Asians are portrayed as smart and hardworking, that this stereotype was intentionally designed to keep minority groups in a competition for power.

• Name shapes and use the layers panel when illustrating complex figures. I will admit that the idea of tracing complex photos with the Illustrator pen tool was intimidating. When illustrating something with multiple shapes, it becomes hard to discern which shape should go behind or in front of what. By grouping and naming shapes strategically (“white dad shirt details”) I was able to use the layers panel to keep track of which shapes were in front of or behind what, as well as drag shapes to their appropriate location.

• Have someone with deep knowledge on the topic provide user feedback. When finishing my final draft, I asked for user feedback from a friend who has deep knowledge on this topic. She gave me feedback on the copy of the infographic and provided me with alternative ways to phrase sentences that could potentially be misunderstood or portray groups of people in a negative light. As this is a sensitive topic having to do with racism and oppression, her feedback was critical to making sure that the information provided uplifts all groups.