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Asians have been migrating to the United States for over 100 years, coming from numerous countries such as Japan, China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines. Many Asians were uprooted by war or driven to America by fear of starvation, death, and political persecution. Upon first arrival in the United States, Asians were often derided for their physical appearance as “buck-toothed”, “slant-eyed” and called “the yellow peril”. However, hard-work has transformed that earlier image into more positive, but perhaps more insidious stereotype. Primarily white political groups (and to some extent the media) have branded Asians as the “model minority”, and historically used them as an example to degrade other racial groups, continuing on into the present century. This paper will demonstrate that the “model minority” image does not survive rigorous examination. Additionally, the creation of this “model minority” badge has had an adverse effect on both Asians and the other ethnic minorities. The term "model minority" was first coined in the mid-1960s by William Petersen, a social demographer, who believed that the success and achievement of Asian Americans paralleled those of the Jewish Americans. Petersen described