The young whippersnappers in this thread may not know this, but we elderly people definitely remember when Asians (specifically, Chinese and Japanese) were referred to as the model minority.
There were many reasons, a few of which were:
1. There were very few Asians (because of tough immigration laws) before World War II (although California did have 100,000 Japanese-Americans and Japanese nationals).
2. They were docile. They did not campaign for "civil rights." (Those 100, 000 Japanese just let themselves be sent to detention camps after Pearl Harbor.)
a. Because there were so few, they were often considered honorary Caucasians. That is, they were allowed into many hotels and restaurants. (In the South, they were considered honorary Caucasians.)
3. A few were allowed to live in Caucasian neighborhoods. (Because there were so few at that time, the neighbors did not fear being overrun by them.) Most, however, were told to their face that they could not move into certain neighborhoods. They just accepted it.
4. Then, as now, Caucasians did not fear them, for they seldom committed any violent acts against Caucasians.
5. Teachers loved them, for they were studious and obedient. They were never defiant or violent.
6. Employers loved them, for they worked hard and did not talk back or try to slack off. (Of course, most jobs were closed to them, so they had to start their own businesses.)
7. Motion pictures often showed them in a good light. Remember the wise and clever Charlie Chan?
