The 'Model Minority' Myth

The Asian American community, long stereotyped as the overachieving model minority, in truth struggles with the same problems of substance abuse and addictive behavior as other populations. For example, recent data suggests that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders may have higher-than-expected rates of pathological gambling within their communities, with the attendant consequences of divorce, domestic violence, bankruptcy and criminal behavior. Yet such problems are often underreported or unrecognized.