Peter Kwong’s chapter “A Model Minority Community?” addressed many of the complexities of the Chinese community in New York City. Stereotypically, Chinese immigrants are known for their willingness to work low wage jobs and the stress of upward mobility through education. However, the situation in New York City, according to Peter Kwong, is much more complex due to the generalization of the whole community as a minority. He stated that there is a significant difference between Uptown and Downtown Chinese communities. Specifically, most uptown and wealthier immigrants reached their levels of success through exploitation of newer and poorer immigrants. In this chapter, Kwong gives a more realistic view of Chinatown as compared to the first two chapters. Earlier, he described almost a ‘model’ community of intelligent and self-dependant immigrants. Later he explained that even though most people view the Chinese as a ‘model minority community’, the reality is much more complicated. Most immigrants in Chinatown are unable to move up in society due to their successful counterparts. Often, the lower class immigrants face the negative consequences such as limited affirmative action.

I found it interesting that the Chinese value of perseverance is the cause of either their success or failure in society. Just like my parents and many other immigrant families, the Chinese believe in working hard in order for their children to advance. In some families, the focus on education is high but as Kwong explained, some children feel too much pressure and fail while others work harder and harder, further widening the gap between the upper and lower classes. Similarly, workers in Chinatown who have faced failures in the past chose to continue working for lower wages and in worsening conditions. They fail to realize that upward mobility in the competitive community of Chinatown is rare due to everybody’s similar circumstances. These immigrants pressure themselves into worse conditions and ultimately, influence those around them to do the same.