Model Minority Myth

The model minority myth refers to the idea that systemic racism does not exist, or that it no longer exists due to examples of racialized people who are 'doing fine'. Examples often include Black athletes or entertainers, or the election of President Barack Obama in the United States. In Toronto, the example of having a Black chief of police was often used as a way to dismiss or derail conversations about systemic and violent anti-Black racism within/by the Toronto Police Service.

The problem with this myth is that it is often used to silence those who speak out against systemic racism. It ignores histories of racialized people being brought into whiteness and pushed away from whiteness, depending on the needs of of ruling elites needs at any given moment in history. It also ignores current overall racial disparities in economic and political power between white and non-white populations. You can find out about some of the history and problems with it here  [PDF]