A Further Test of the Model Minority Thesis

Abstract

This article examines data on Japanese Americans in Arizona in terms of the model minority thesis and addresses the question of whether or not this image is a myth. Occupation and income return from education, based on the 1980 census data, are examined for Japanese American males in Arizona. The findings suggest that the model minority thesis does not apply for the Japanese Americans in Arizona; for example, white males are more than two times as likely to be in managerial positions as Japanese American males, and the latter receive less return from education than the former. It is suggested that further studies explore in depth cultural and structural factors in relation to mobility, income, and occupation for Japanese Americans and other Asian Americans.