Commentary on American expectations of Asians

The TV show South Park frequently makes fun of cultural behaviors by exaggerating them. The following is an episode of South Park that makes fun of the American stereotype of the Japanese as humble, timid, and wowed by foreigners (and Americans in particular):

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103586/

In this episode, Japanese businessmen are using toys to brainwash American children into becoming kamikaze fighters for the Japanese military. This conspiracy comes to the attention of many Americans (including, eventually, the president). However, whenever the issue is brought before the Japanese business, the businessmen prostrate themselves, and their nation, as so inferior to the Americans that the Americans end up being so puffed up with pride that they, the Americans, are happy to overlook the conspiracy.

This episode pokes direct fun at how Americans view the Japanese as inferior, and how easy it is for the Americans to accept the Japanese "humility." However, the episode also casts the Japanese as "gooks" -- hiding beneath the surface, pretending to fit in (by "accepting" the superiority of American), the Japanese decieve the Americans so that they can mind-control the American children to do the twisted Japanese bidding. This fits with current American fears about Asia "taking over" the American economy, as discussed at the bottom of p205 in Lee: Japanese companies are buying American businesses, thus taking control while being quiet, legal, and obeying the law. Thus in the above South Park episode we see both the "model minority" and the "gook": feigned compliance with American wishes while in reality being an insipid force against American values.

I'm wondering now how the two facets of the model minority/"gook" stereotype could be reconciled, especially in relation to how Asians and Asian-Americans are viewed by general American society. I often find that racism can be reduced to simple derogatory blurbs about a given ethnic group (e.g. lazy, irresponsible). However, it seems to me that even in regard to the single MM/G stereotype there lacks such blurbs. Asians and Asian-Americans seem feared, favored, and belittled all together: perfect Americans, insipidly trying to destroy America, culturally inferior to Americans. How would the MM/G myth be consolidated? Is there a reconciliation for the seemingly tripolar attitude?