W+K’s Mimi Munoz on the struggle to break the myth of the ‘model minority’

Ad Age is marking Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 with our Honoring Creative Excellence package. (Read the introduction here.) Today, our guest editor JJ Augustavo turns the spotlight to Mimi Munoz, global culture and operations manager at Wieden+Kennedy. Here, Munoz shares her thoughts on the myth of the “model minority.” Last year I executive produced “The Myth,” a film that exposes the myth of the “model minority,” a false narrative weaponizing Asian Americans against other ethnic groups. It follows a young Asian American woman as she examines how being identified as a “model minority” has shaped the relationships throughout her life: starting with her relationship with herself, her family and, finally, her Black partner. The film aims to dispel the false “model minority” narrative that keeps us apart and urges us to recognize what it attempts to dissuade us from: the belief that we—those of us who were born here, immigrated here or are simply just here in America—belong here. All of us. Together. The project was self-initiated, tied to no brand and had zero initial budget. It was produced for a total of under $200,000 and garnered $1 million in earned media across 11-plus partners, including placements across major publishers such as Twitch, Samsung and Match; ran across National CineMedia and Screenvision’s network of theaters nationwide; and has been incorporated into the course curriculum of classrooms across America. This film was a deeply personal project for me. My parents are Vietnamese Boat People. My grandma was pregnant and had five daughters under 10 years old while traveling by boat to America. My grandpa stayed behind because of the war and wouldn’t be reunited with my family for another 20 years. Fast forward to my childhood. I grew up in a predominantly white environment. I was one of a few Asian folks at every school I walked into. I was taught to be quiet, keep my head down, work hard and not make waves. It was how my family had survived, so they passed it on to me. I carried this with me for far too long. I continued walking on eggshells for much of my career and life. I was unintentionally perpetuating the “model minority” myth. Then the pandemic happened, quickly followed by anti-Asian violence. And I realized I didn’t have the luxury to stay quiet any longer because if we didn’t take up these spaces, who would tell our stories, and what would they say? During that time, I finally found my voice. I found myself pushing boundaries, imposing myself, not asking permission and ultimately breaking a myth that had haunted most of my life. Why? Because to do what we did, making this film in service of our community, we had to push. We had to ask for more from folks, so others could see what was happening to our community and how we were suffering. My other why? My daughters, who are the first biracial babies in my family. They will be expected to move through the world not only as Vietnamese daughters but as Vietnamese Puerto Rican daughters. So for me, if I could break the “model minority” myth for myself, I could break it for them.

W+K’s Mimi Munoz on the struggle to break the myth of the ‘model minority’

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