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September 5, 2024

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Fifty thousand dollars. That’s the average cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in the US. Although the number of employers covering fertility treatment has risen significantly over the past few years, the percentage of employers that provide fertility benefits is still around 40%. This has left many hopeful parents stranded, unable to afford the hefty price tags out-of-pocket.

The good news is that we have many talented people working on this issue. Tammy Sun is the CEO and co-founder of Carrot Fertility, a startup that has raised more than $115 million to help employers, health plans, and health systems provide comprehensive fertility care benefits to people globally. We sat down with Tammy to chat about her work with Carrot and reflections on her founder journey.

TLDR; Key Takeaways

If you only have a few minutes, here are a few golden nuggets from our conversation with Tammy:

  • Storytelling is a core component of innovation. Whether you’re pitching investors, engaging with potential hires, launching a new product, or closing new customers, it’s critical that you can clearly articulate and curate the value proposition to each of your stakeholders. Practicing this skill will naturally lead to new conversations about how your product/service could be improved. 
  • The best way to build something people want is to listen to your customers’ problems. When talking to potential customers, give them the breathing room to talk generally about problems they are facing. This can provide valuable insight into the meaningful problems that need solving.
  • Choose a problem you want to work on where you have a personal connection to the issue, especially in healthcare. If your startup succeeds, you will be working on the same problem for 10+ years. Choosing a problem that you will have a lifetime of curiosity about will keep you motivated.
  • In the early stages of fundraising, focus on discovering your early believers instead of convincing people to care. Your early backers should be people who are as visionary as you are about your problem. Don’t waste time convincing investors who can’t be convinced, move on quickly.
  • Different stages of company building can require different employees. It’s important to remember that very few people can support your company from day 1 to an exit because most don’t have that prior experience. As a founder, you want to assess if the team you have is able to help you reach your next few milestones and reassess the next key growth stage of your company.  
  • The CEO acts as a culture’s pacesetter. As simple as it may be, you need to reflect on the behavior and aura you would like to see within your company. Alignment around company culture starts with you. 

What made you decide that starting a company was the right answer to the lack of access to fertility care?

Before starting Carrot, I spent some time in government, policy, and political work. There’s definitely a huge opportunity through policy to make large-scale improvements and changes to healthcare and other areas that can impact millions of people, particularly around regulatory issues related to fertility care, pregnancy care, and menopause care. But, I think the private sector and companies have a unique sharpness that can impact people in direct ways that nonprofits, legislative efforts, or even judicial efforts can’t.

In this country, whether you like it or not, people get most of their healthcare through their jobs. Employers, health plans, and the partners within the healthcare ecosystem that work with them are very much the primary delivery and distribution mechanisms for healthcare. I really believe that lifelong fertility care–from preconception all the way through menopause, low testosterone, and midlife care–is a vital and fundamental part of human healthcare. In order to bring fertility care to the table as a first-class citizen within the healthcare stack of work, we committed ourselves to making it easy for employers of any size, anywhere in the US and around the world, to customize their products and deliver fertility benefits to their employees in a way that is easy and seamless, and really elevates the experience for those employees.

There’s a place for all different types of work and activity that can impact this space, including nonprofits and public sector work at the federal and state levels. For us, we felt that the private sector and the company vehicle specifically were going to be the most impactful for the change we wanted to see in the world.

What valuable skills did you learn during your time in the public sector that are transferable to what you’re doing now?

In both the public and private sectors, as well as the nonprofit sector, the ability to clearly articulate your ideas with strong and compelling stories is really important. Whether you are in the public sector arguing for a piece of legislation or a specific law, or you’re in the private sector raising capital, launching products, or even recruiting talent and hiring people, it really depends on how good you are at telling your story and articulating an idea about the future. That’s something I was really able to bring with me in that transition.

We know that you played around with a few other ideas including some D2C ideas before committing to your current idea. How did you land on your current business?

It’s a great question. I’m an avid consumer of B2C-type healthcare products. I wear all the wearables and things like that. But as I said, if you’re really talking about healthcare with a capital H, you have to figure out a way to integrate with plans, payers, and employers. We tried many different ideas in the first year and a half of the company. Some of them were direct-to-consumer. We tried to make it really easy for people to access loans and financing. Ultimately, we shut that part down because we didn’t really want to be in the business of financing as the single solution. Medical debt is the number one reason that Americans file for bankruptcy, and we didn’t want to contribute to that. It’s great for some people, but at scale, it’s not a worthwhile solution. We tried all sorts of direct-to-consumer things. I didn’t know anything about benefits, employers, or the many acronyms in the space like ERISA, HIPAA, HRA, or HSA. But what I knew in the early days was that when I started talking to potential customers, all they wanted to do was talk about their problems and what kind of product they would be interested in if we were to build it. The enthusiasm and desire for a product that would make it easy for HR leaders and benefit leaders to meet their needs within their employee population was striking from day one. As soon as we pursued that avenue, we never stopped.

Within the fertility care industry, what do you think founders and other innovators should be focusing on?

I feel like the right match between the founder and the problem is as important as the match between the product and the market. What you want to do if you’re a founder thinking about starting a company is to make sure you have an almost never-ending well of curiosity about the problem you’re trying to solve. You don’t really need to have a clear solution in the early days, but you must have unending curiosity and empathy, particularly in healthcare. You need to understand who is impacted by the problem, who is hurt by it, and who feels pain as a result. Spend a lot of time understanding what that looks like even before you think about trying different MVPs and ways to solve it. If you have a personal connection to the issue, especially in healthcare, it contributes to a lifelong curiosity about how people experience the problem you’re trying to solve. This continuous curiosity allows you to keep innovating even two, three, five, or ten years later, building products and services that add value to people’s lives.

Given that fertility care has only recently seen an influx of venture capital, what do you think are potential exit options for fertility companies?

There are lots of ways along the journey to create liquidity for investors, shareholders, early employees, etc. As the category matures, those opportunities will increase, and we’ll see a lot more diverse outcomes across the category. That’s a good thing; it’s a sign of progress and market maturity. I’m excited about that because I think it’s coming. For early-stage founders, it’s less important to spend time mapping corporate strategy and how you are going to get to an exit. Instead, be maniacal about serving customers and the rest will generally sort itself out. But to your point, this category has been ignored for a long time, so it’s exciting to see how this area of healthcare is getting attention and being prioritized as an area of opportunity for investment.

When you were choosing an idea, was the total addressable market something that you thought about? 

Certainly, in the earlier days, it’s almost a conversation that doesn’t really need to be had. Generally, you want to try to solve a very specific thing really well out of the gate and then use that as a wedge and leverage to expand from there. But I did spend a lot of time evangelizing and educating different people, particularly investors, to address questions about how big the TAM would be. I had to explain why egg freezing was not a niche problem and all the things that, in retrospect, I’m sure you could appreciate as well. It’s very clear now and it’s part of the mainstream conventional wisdom that this is a very large area of healthcare. It affects almost every human being—people who are pregnant, and people who are not pregnant. We were the first to launch a menopause product into the employer market a few years ago, and we really think about that as both reproductive and post-reproductive fertility care. If we were to talk about menopause care five years ago, the category hadn’t matured enough where people would even take that seriously. 

If you’re new to fundraising, it’s a little bit jarring in the early days to get so many rejections, particularly if you’re generally a high-achieving person. I wouldn’t think about fundraising as convincing. I would think about it more as discovering, especially in the early days. It’s less about trying to convince a lot of people about your TAM and more about moving on quickly from people who you sense can’t be convinced and finding people who are as visionary and evangelical about your problem set as you are. 

How did you think about making your first few hires? Why did you hire them, and what lessons did you learn from those first few hires?

The first few hires generally are partially a function of who’s around you. What’s your current community like, whether it’s college or whether you’re in New York or Silicon Valley? What is your immediate vicinity, and who’s in your personal network? An important thing about your first few hires is understanding how to discern when the first few hires have hit their ceiling. You’ll have your first few hires, and then you’ll have your first few fires. The latter is probably as important as the former. 

Very few people can scale a company from zero to 100 million and be able to excel for that entire journey. More people will be particularly excellent at a particular stage of the company, whether it’s zero to a million, a million to 10, or 10 to 30. As a founder, you want to be able to hire and understand what the business needs, not just in this moment, but in the next few moments that are coming. And then, regardless of your personal relationships, you have to be able to shake your team up if needed and build it for the next phase. Sometimes that means you stick with some folks from your founding team. Sometimes that means you separate, and that’s okay. They’ll always be part of the story, but hiring and firing is probably one of the most challenging aspects of early-stage company building.

How did you think about culture-building? 

The thing that was most important for me was that the people in the early team were as obsessed as I was with customers, users, the product, and the problem. We knew very early on that the product would change and it would change very quickly. You want to be surrounded by people who are just as curious as you are about all the things that really matter. I was very lucky that I had a lot of people around me in those early days where our curiosity matched each other. Our level of intensity and our level of passion were all well-calibrated with each other.

Where you find problems, especially in early-stage company culture, is if that calibration is off and some people are running at different speeds. You want your initial team to be extremely aligned, running at the same speed. Everyone should be equally passionate, curious, and taking advantage of the fact that you are early and minimal; so information, knowledge, and insights can travel very fast within the team. As a CEO, you are generally the pacesetter when it comes to progress and culture. I would encourage early-stage founders to think of themselves as pacesetters and examples so that others can see what kind of behavior comprises the culture of a company.

How has your identity as an Asian impacted your founder journey?

The area where it has impacted me is representation, meaning I didn’t have that many Asian role models coming up. That absence has really emphasized the need for empathy, not just for other founders, but also for users and members. For example, considering where our users come from. Where do they feel like there are no role models? Where do they feel like there is no precedent? Where do they feel like it’s lonely? I think my own experience has enlarged and augmented my sense of empathy in all directions with other founders, but also within my customer base and my membership base as well.

Can you share more about the policy-related work Carrot has been doing or that you’ve personally been doing in Alabama to expand and protect access to IVF and other fertility benefits?

What happened in Alabama was bad. We anticipated it and moved very quickly to make sure that our members who were impacted in Alabama were supported. While the change didn’t affect a huge number of members, it was significant from a cultural and media perspective. We made sure that members were communicated with, that customers who were impacted felt supported, and that we were able to answer lots of questions from our partners within our ecosystem.

A silver lining of the Alabama situation is that a strong bipartisan consensus emerged in favor of access to IVF. You saw Democrats, Republicans, and independents all speak up in favor of IVF and fertility care as a fundamental part of healthcare. This is medical care. I saw almost no voices trying to restrict access to it from a political or policy perspective. That is a significant silver lining and an area where we’ve tried to center ourselves and expand the consensus in favor of support. We believe that anything that prohibits or decelerates access to care is bad, and the Alabama event was certainly in that category.

Lastly, is there anything that you’d like to shout out or promote?

My friend April Koh. She’s the founder and CEO of Spring Health, which is a mental health company. She and I have known each other for a long time. She’s done such a phenomenal job in the mental health space with Spring, so I’d like to shout out April.

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Stories

Cheryl Mainland on Making Chinese Cool and Empowering the Next Generation

“Over time, I realized that speaking and understanding Chinese wasn’t just a ‘useful skill’—it is my superpower and key to belonging,” says Cheryl Mainland, Founder & CEO of Dragon Academy. Her fluency in Chinese has been a source of identity and has played a key role in her journey—from understanding her cultural heritage to excelling at Harvard in East Asia Studies and negotiating successful global business deals.

Recognizing the power of language to bridge cultures and connect with 1.3 billion native Chinese speakers, Cheryl is now committed to creating an engaging and interactive multi-media platform for children and adults worldwide to learn Chinese through Dragon Academy.

At its core, Dragon Academy is an epic tale of nine multicultural teens journeying through six mystical realms brimming with ancient legends, mythical beasts, and dragons – all united in a quest to bridge worlds. This story is told across multiple media formats and channels, including a book series, social media content, an AI animation series, and other cultural initiatives. Complementing their adventure is a highly gamified app that transforms Chinese language learning into an exciting, immersive, (and even addictive) experience.

A mother of three, serial entrepreneur, lifelong adventurer, and avid surfer, Cheryl has become an inspiration to many. She has been featured in top media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Vogue, Tatler, WWD, and numerous other prestigious publications.

Cheryl Mainland, Founder & CEO, Dragon Academy (Image Source: Samanta Katz)

The Struggle of Language and Identity

Cheryl embodies the essence of a third-culture kid. Born in Taiwan, she is half-Chinese, half-American, and raised across Asia, she navigated the complexities of identity, language, and belonging from an early age.

Cheryl with her maternal and paternal grandmothers Taipei, Taiwan, 1983 (Image Source: Cheryl Mainland)

“Like many of us, I grew up straddling two worlds. The ultimate translator of languages, cultures, generations.  I carry with me the collective memory of (boring) Saturday Chinese school, the struggle of keeping up with my Chinese lessons, and the challenge of celebrating my heritage while forging my own path,” Cheryl says. “After having kids, I witnessed their similar struggles – nothing has changed.” She recognized that the traditional methods of learning Chinese – endless hours of copying hanzi characters on square grid paper (田字格) – have experienced minimal change over the centuries, relying on rote memorization rather than engagement.

Not wanting her children to face the same language learning struggles she faced (and hundreds of thousands of other Chinese learners), Cheryl is embracing this as an opportunity to spark a cultural movement that breathes new life into the Chinese language and culture. Dragon Academy’s strategy ignites a passion for learning through an epic narrative delivered via a highly gamified app, an AI mini-series, a book series, social media content, and a future film adaptation. Each of the multimedia platform components captures the story-based enthusiasm, teaching Chinese through nine proprietary building block methods that make learning Chinese fun, engaging, and truly relevant.

Dragon Academy Universe: the foundation of a highly gamified Chinese language learning app, book series, cartoons, feature films, documentaries, merchandise, and console games. (Image Source: Cheryl Mainland)

Cheryl’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Empowering the Masses

Throughout Cheryl’s entrepreneurial ventures, a constant theme has been empowering communities by identifying unmet needs and transforming the “uncool” into “cool” through innovative solutions. From dressing corporate women in clothes that boosted their self-confidence in the boardroom (The Fold London), to inspiring tweens and teens “to wear their invisible crown” on all special occasions (PromGirl.com), to reimagining sun-protective fashion—proving that staying safe in the sun doesn’t mean sacrificing style (Mott50)—her work consistently uplifts and inspires.


Most recently, to celebrate the launch of Dragon Academy Book 1 during Lunar New Year 2025, Cheryl partnered with artist Archie Geotina to honor the 46 million-strong Chinese diaspora through Pearls, an art series. Chinese Pearls features three generations of female surfers from diverse Chinese heritage – Indonesian Chinese, Singaporean Chinese, mixed-Chinese families, adoptees, and expats – riding Bali’s iconic waves in modern QiPao, empowering the community and highlighting its resilience, heritage, and unity.

A Future for the Community

“As an Asian American entrepreneur, Asian American mom, and a lifelong advocate for bridging cultures, I resonate deeply with AHN’s mission to uplift and empower the global Asian diaspora,” Cheryl affirms.  

She draws a parallel between Dragon Academy’s goal to reignite the next generation’s connection to their heritage and AHN’s commitment to rewriting narratives and celebrating Asian excellence. When asked about her future plans, Cheryl confidently states, “We are on an ambitious mission to increase the percentage of the world that speaks Chinese by 5% over the next five years.”

An estimated 5 million people started learning Japanese because of Manga, 15 million took up Korean because of K-pop, Dragon Academy is set to start a Chinese language movement. By juxtaposing storytelling and technology, Dragon Academy is approaching Chinese language learning from an “obsess, learn, master” order. 

“Imagine a world where kids want to learn Chinese because they see it as their ultimate superpower and key to belonging. That’s the future we’re building,” exclaims Cheryl.

And the journey is just beginning. Dragon Academy Book 1 launched at the beginning of this year. The highly gamified learning app, immersive AI mini-series, and a host of exciting cultural initiatives are currently in development. The first round of external investment has commenced – seeking visionary, like-minded investors to join this transformative movement.  Dragon Academy is poised to redefine the landscape of Chinese language learning and cultural exploration.

DRAGON ACADEMY “Traditional Scene.” The OG Dragon Keepers, ancestors of the 9 multicultural teenage protagonists of the Dragon Academy Universe. (Artist: Andrew Archer)

Learn More about Dragon Academy

Website: https://dragonacademy.com/

Instagram: @dragonacademy_official

Book 1: www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM4YDLL3

Connect With Cheryl Mainland

Instagram: @cherylmainland

LinkedIn: Cheryl Mainland

Email: Cheryl@dragonacademy.com

  • 5 min read
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Stories

The Power of Representation: Ami Desai’s Impact on Media and Beauty

The path to success in content creation is never paved with roses, and no one understands this quite like Ami Desai. From her beginnings in broadcast journalism to becoming a well-known beauty and lifestyle influencer, Ami has shaped her career through authenticity, adaptability, and a strong dedication to representation.

As an Indian-American raised in Los Angeles, Ami grew up as a first-generation South Asian immigrant, a generation that deeply felt the need for greater South Asian representation in the media. After earning her degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s from Boston University, she built a solid media foundation through roles at CNN and Inside Edition. During this time behind the scenes, she discovered her passion for on-camera hosting, eventually landing her dream role as the host of the first digital show for Oprah.com. In 2011, Ami made a pivotal move by hosting a luxury travel show in India, which allowed her to reconnect with her roots and gain international exposure.

Simultaneously, Ami began building her own beauty business with her family. She went on to become one of the first South Asian content creators to collaborate with major brands like Toyota and Pampers on large campaigns, while also highlighting important Indian traditions and holidays such as Diwali. Recognizing the lack of representation for her ethnicity in the media and beauty industries, Ami founded her life’s mission, merging her experiences as a host, makeup artist, and mom to help other women advocate for themselves while balancing various roles. This gap in representation became her motivation to amplify underrepresented voices and promote diversity.

In 2016, Ami took a leap of faith, leaving traditional media behind to forge her own path in the influencer space. Despite pitching herself as a contributor or expert to various outlets, she faced rejection, which drove her to create her own content on social media platforms. Through this experience, she realized that content creation involved more than just posting visually appealing images—it required strategic planning, engagement tracking, and brand pitching. Even as the industry pushed her to narrow her niche, Ami confidently embraced her multifaceted identity, sharing content that reflected her life as a mother, beauty expert, and entrepreneur. This authenticity deeply resonated with her audience, ultimately helping her build a loyal fanbase connecting creators and audiences.

In the latest episode of the Creators Podcast, presented by Asian Hustle Network in collaboration with Meta Prosper, Ami shares a story of resilience, adaptability, and a deep dedication to her community. Whether you’re an aspiring content creator, a beauty lover, or someone who enjoys learning about authentic journeys, this episode is filled with valuable insights and inspiration.

Connect with Ami Desai:

Instagram: @amidesai

  • 3 min read
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News

Is the Model Minority Myth an Obstacle to Real Representation?

The Trap of Positive Stereotypes

The original “Charlie’s Angels” was a successful hit, not only because it made $93 million and grossed more than $264 million at global offices, but it also created exposure for Asian American representation.

Lucy Liu plays Alex Munday, a strategist, expert martial artist, and agent. Munday’s parents were Havard professors of economics and philosophy, and she, at an early age, was a child prodigy excelling at chess, equestrianism, fencing, archery, and gymnastics. Besides that, she holds a medical degree, spent her teenage years learning with a Tibetan guru, danced with the Stuttgart Ballet, and was a part-time aerospace engineer and on-call consultant for NASA. 

Lucy Liu as Alex Munday in 'Charlie's Angels' (Image source: 'Charlie's Angels' - 2000)

Lucy Liu as Alex Munday in ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (Image source: ‘Charlie’s Angels’ – 2000)

Does the entire introduction sound familiar? Swap out the name Alex Munday for your overachieving Asian cousin, sibling, or the “top Asian kid” your parents always compare you to, and you’d likely end up with a strikingly similar description.

It is undeniable that contemporary films, comedies, memes, and other forms of content have taken extensive lengths to represent Asian culture. Yet, they have also perpetuated a troubling stereotype. To complicate matters, many within the Asian community unknowingly reinforce these portrayals, cementing these narratives even further.

The article’s purpose is not to mock or diminish the accomplishments of any individual, community, or effort in striving for representation and equality. On the contrary, it is essential to celebrate the contributions of the many talents and media that have significantly advanced global awareness and appreciation of Asian culture and heritage. Hence, the article wishes to provide a nuanced perspective on contemporary topics while providing debate on the norms, beliefs, and habits created in our society.

What is the Model Minority Myth?

According to the University of Michigan, Densho, and other sources, after World War II, the United States underwent significant changes in its laws and policies to address mounting international criticism of racial prejudice and ongoing protests from ethnic communities within the country. 

“Success Story, Japanese American Style” by William Petersen (Image source: Smithsonian APA)

“Success Story, Japanese American Style” by William Petersen (Image source: Smithsonian APA)

As PBS illustrates, new regulations like the Chinese Exclusion Act shifted toward dismantling exclusionary measures and advocating for Asian communities and immigrants, particularly skilled and educated migrants. The University of Michigan further exemplifies, articles like “Success Story, Japanese American Style” by William Petersen began to appear  – praising how despite years of racial prejudice and discrimination, Japanese Americans were still able to achieve great socioeconomic status thanks to hard work and other cultural values of discipline and compliance to social hierarchy. 

By focusing on the facets of income, education level, and low crime rates as the definition of success instead of underlining economic and social factors, Asian Americans are often portrayed as hardworking, disciplined, and intelligent—a concept scholars refer to as the model minority. 

Model Minority Myth in Silencing Activism

While this stereotype may appear beneficial on the surface, Ted-Ed, in collaboration with Densho, emphasizes that there are no “good” stereotypes. As cited by PBS, cultural historian Robert G. Lee argues that such inclusion does not promote equity but instead undermines activism and disregards the struggles of other marginalized groups.

This is significant because the model minority myth obscures disparities within the diverse Asian American community, perpetuating the misconception that Asian identity is monolithic, often reduced to just China, Korea, and Japan. Furthermore, the stereotype marginalizes individuals who fail to meet its expectations, silencing those who speak out against it.

Societal pressure on Asian individuals (Image source: Kamanaoleeward)

Societal pressure on Asian individuals (Image source: Kamanaoleeward)

For instance, an Asian student with subpar grades might be labeled as lazy rather than being understood in the context of contributing factors like economic hardship or family struggles. The danger of accepting “positive” stereotypes lies in their ability to perpetuate harmful narratives and create unrealistic standards, fostering a cycle of self-framing that damages both individuals and the broader Asian community.

When Representation Unintentionally Reinforces Stereotypes

Let’s use another example to understand this dichotomy. 

Ke Huy Quan, the American actor of Vietnamese descent, is well known in the notorious “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom”, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, and “Loki” Season 2. His selection as an exemplar highlights how his journey encapsulates the model minority stereotype and demonstrates how Asian communities may unconsciously perpetuate such narratives.

In “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, Quan portrays Short Round, a clever Japanese sidekick aiding Dr. Jones on his adventures. Ironically, this character aligns with the early stages of the model minority stereotype. Short Round comes from a disadvantaged background, surviving through pickpocketing, but his association with Dr. Jones transforms him into a more thoughtful and capable individual, elevating his social status by the film’s conclusion.

In “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, Quan embraces the archetype of the modern Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan—a martial arts expert and mentor to the protagonist, reminiscent of Mr. Miyagi in “The Karate Kid”. Finally in Loki Quan plays Ouroboros, a lovable and intelligent technician who once was a writer and a teacher of theoretical physics at Cal Tech. 

Ke Huy Quan (Image source: The Independent)

Ke Huy Quan (Image source: The Independent)

In a meta and somewhat ironic twist, both Ke Huy Quan’s career and the roles he portrays reflect how Asians may unknowingly perpetuate the stereotypes they are often subject to. While Quan’s rise to fame is a testament to his dedication and perseverance, his portrayal of characters like the “witty young sidekick” learning from a Caucasian hero, the martial arts mentor, and the intellectual expert, inadvertently reinforces the very tropes that have shaped the Asian image in media. Despite his immense talent and the love he has earned within the Asian community, these roles contribute to the ongoing cycle of cultural expectations and representation.

Breaking the Myth of the Model Asian

It is entirely debatable that it is not the fault of the actors. We admire Ke Huy Quan for his remarkable journey and his representation of the Asian community. Nevertheless, through observing content produced by modern media, one will recognize certain tropes from the Asian community. 

Steven He satirizes Asian parents, Jimmy O. Yang joking about Asian habits, Lily in “Pitch Perfect”, Rajesh Koothrappali in “The Big Bang Theory”, Louis and Jessia Huang in “Fresh Off The Boat”, and the list goes on. Even the news you see about an “Asian underdog politician” rising to power or the “overlooked Asian business owner” continues to reinforce these themes. While these portrayals are well-intended, they still fall into a pattern of representation that, ironically, reflects the very stereotypes they aim to challenge.

These stereotypes create an environment of competition and segregation in the Asian community, where individuals feel pressured to conform to a specific image. To maintain an idealized representation, certain behaviors become expected, specific careers are favored, and everyone feels compelled to excel in particular areas.

A ramification of this mindset would be far-reaching. For example, economic struggles may be ignored, as the stereotype dictates that all Asians should be successful. Mental health issues among children are dismissed because it is assumed that the Asian parenting and education system naturally fosters resilience. Furthermore, social problems like drug use or teenage pregnancy are seen as impossible within this community because Asians are stereotypically perceived as disciplined and morally upright. These misconceptions, while seemingly small, perpetuate harmful beliefs and ultimately hinder inclusivity, reinforcing negative stereotypes that shape the broader perception of the Asian community.

Shaping Our Own Story in Media and Beyond

“There are more Asians than any kind of race on the planet. That means we are the majority, we dictate normal behavior,” Ronny Cheng states in his comedy skit.

Asia comprises 59% of the world’s population, hence we are the majority. However, this work is not a manifesto calling for the unification of an ideal but serves as a reflection of the society we live in. The media plays a pivotal role in shaping our perception. The argument is not to elicit a conspiracy theory but to help readers ponder the question, how do we want to be represented? Thanks to pioneers like Lucy Liu and Ke Huy Quan, the Asian community has gradually won more exposure from media outlets. Now, it is the turn of the new generation to represent the Asian community in all its diversity and complexity.

Sources:

The Conversation, Pew Research Center, Adoptive Families, 2 Sao, Vietcetera, TruTV, USA Today, Tien Phong, Screen Rant, Marvel, Mary Sue, Indiana Jones Wiki Fandom, Charlie Angels Wiki Fandom, Vanity Fair, Washington Post, Ted Ed, Densho, PBS, University of Michigan.

  • 8 min read
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News

The American Dream: A Promise, a Paradox, and the Asian Experience

The Immigrant Struggle

“We dream of going to America, to change our lives, we believed. But my life changed so much. I felt sad about life, didn’t know the language, and didn’t know the roads. I had no friends, so I felt very sad.” – Phong, a Vietnamese American expat interviewed by the Pew Research Center.

“I sometimes, just a little, wish that I would disappear so that my parents and my sister could be better off.” – Nolan, an Asian American interviewed by the Pew Research Center.

Dreams vs. Reality

The American Dream is often celebrated as a path to success, yet its reality is far more nuanced. Tales of rags to riches from Asian peers suggest its promise, but the Pew Research Center reports that one in ten Asian Americans still live in poverty as of 2024. The issue lies not solely in the Dream itself but in how it is constructed and understood.

For many Asians, the American Dream is synonymous with upward mobility achieved through hard work and resilience—a belief that effort alone can overcome systemic barriers. But resilience, by its nature, demands enduring hardship and accepting foreignness, perpetuating a narrative that reinforces isolation and discrepancy.

The American Dream is synonymous with upward mobility achieved through hard work and resilience (Image Source: Roberto Parada)

The American Dream is synonymous with upward mobility achieved through hard work and resilience (Image Source: Roberto Parada)

The Illusion of Gold

The idolization of a Western nation paved in gold is an illusion that perpetuates xenophobia and the model minority myth. This ideological flaw is alluring and dangerous. We have all heard heartbreaking stories of illegal labor exports and stowaway immigrants. Yet we tend to remember the rags-to-riches stories because it is comforting to view ourselves as the ones who might make it. All while labeling these immigrants as illegal, the other, the individual Asian Americans who will live in poverty. But by doing so, we have fallen trapped in the American Dream, clawing our way to the top for the sake of others. 

After the pandemic, anti-Asian and hate crimes have increased. The encounter paints a reflection of our society, there is no line between the one and the other nine, we are Asians and that is our identity. Then is the American Dream a lie? Not necessarily—but it is far from universal.

Community as the Key

Like all dreams, it is what we make of it.  Whether in America, Asia, or any part of the world, opportunities coexist with difficulties. Moving to another country means tackling obstacles such as language and cultural barriers alongside the burden you once had at home. Statistics show that 61% of Asian adults seek family and friends when facing financial burdens. This can become challenging when migrating to a new country. 

The key lies in recognizing that success is not achieved alone. Building networks and fostering solidarity within communities can challenge the isolating demands of resilience and redefine the Dream as a collective effort toward meaningful progress.

The American Dream is both a beacon of hope and a paradox. For many Asian Americans, the pursuit of upward mobility comes with sacrifices that are often overlooked. Yet, success doesn’t need to be a solitary journey. By embracing shared struggles and fostering a supportive community, one can find hope by redefining what the American Dream truly means.

Sources: Pew Research Center – 1 in 10: Redefining the Asian American Dream (Short Film), Pew Research Center – The Hardships and Dreams of Asian Americans Living in Poverty, Edelman, C&EN, Reappropriate.

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