“Ask the Asian! He Knows!”: Dismantling the Model-Minority Stereotype in Mathematics

Two firsthand experiences with the stereotype “All Asians are good at math” are shared—one as an undergraduatemathematics student and another as a teacher of mathematics. Although the two episodes are separated by nearly twentyyears, the experiences are remarkably similar. The article discusses the origins of the stereotype, as well as how it racializesthe subject of mathematics and burdens members of the Asian American community. Through narrative storytelling, adviceis offered on how to confront and defuse racial prejudice in mathematical settings.