History PlayingWith / AsianAndNerdy

** Sam is able to convince his parents that he can do both by being an AcademicAthlete, attaining a full-ride scholarship to a school with good academics and using it to both play put his dream of being in the NFL ''and'' having a well-respected high-paying job afterwards with the degree he got as a second career after he's retired from the game his mid-30's.

** Sam is able to convince his parents that he can do both by being an AcademicAthelete, attaining a full-ride scholarship to a school with good academics and using it to both play put his dream of being in the NFL ''and'' having a well-respected high-paying job afterwards with the degree he got as a second career after he's retired from the game his mid-30's.

* '''Reconstructed''': After moving out, Sam uses whatever money he had working as a doctor or in computer science to get involved with sports culture, mainly becoming a sports [=trainer/doctor=], and is able to find joy in being a Football Commentator.

* '''Enforced''': PositiveDiscrimination

* '''Invoked''': An Asian man was casted to play Sam because the writers felt that, [[ShowDontTell on top of everything else]], making him Asian would give off a genius vibe.

* '''Defied''': In Grade School Sam makes an effort to not be "nerdy" to avoid being singled out by bullies.

* '''Played For Drama''': Sam is extremely intelligent because his parents force him to study intensively and severely punish him whenever he makes even a small mistake in his homework. All of this means that he has no free time, and no social life. While he is smart, he is also very unhappy.

* '''Played For Laughs'':' Sam finds that since he's so smart, he practically doesn't find any intellectual problem challenging anymore.

* '''Straight''': Sam Gwan has the top grades in his class, and is on his way to work on math and [[ScienceHero science]] careers.

* '''Double Subverted''': He gets Cs because he never bothers to study and constantly sleeps in his class. When he applies himself, he gets perfect scores in all his subjects.

** Everyone has a talent by virtue of their race: The Asian guy is a math wiz, the black guy is good at basketball, etc.
** Sam gets an A- and [[TheBGrade falls apart]]

* '''Defied''': In Grade School Sam makes an effort to not be "Nerdy" to avoid being singled out by bullies.
* '''Discussed''': "Unlike what your favorite television program would have you believe, Asians are not always the [[SmartGuy Smart Guys]]."

* '''Deconstructed''': Sam is only as smart as he is because his parents put so much pressure on him to be studious. Sam was built for and wanted to play American football but never got the chance.

* '''Played For Laughs:''' Sam finds that since he's so smart, he practically doesn't find any intellectual problem challenging anymore.

Back to AsianAndNerdy

* '''Double Subverted''': He's on his way to work on Computer science

* '''Invoked''': An asian man was casted to play Sam because the writers felt that, [[ShowDontTell on top of everything else]], making him asian would give off a genius vibe.

* '''Deconstructed''': Sam is only as smart as he is because his parents put so much pressure on him to be studious. Sam was built for and wanted to play American Football but never got the chance.
* '''Reconstructed''': After moving out, Sam uses whatever money he had working as a doctor or in computer science to get involved with Sports Culture, mainly becoming a sports [=trainer/doctor=], and is able to find joy in being a Football Commentator.

* '''Inverted''':
** Sam is BookDumb ([[AsianAirhead and not particularly street smart, either]]).

* '''Straight''': Sam Gwan has the top grades in his class, and is really good at math and [[ScienceHero science]].

** Sam is a MasterOfAll, a BadassBookworm or a GeniusBruiser.

** Sam is under cultural pressure to please his {{family|Honor}} (especially [[EducationMama his mom]]) by working hard to achieve a lot in school.

** [[AsianAirhead Sam]] is BookDumb ([[IdiotHero and not particularly street smart, either]]).
** Mark is an OccidentalOtaku who is really smart and through anime and manga becomes asianized
* '''Subverted''':
** Sam gets average grades.
** Alternatively, Sam is good at everything else, but [[FMinusMinus *really* sucks at math]].
** Sam seems brainy because he's quiet and [[SmartPeopleWearGlasses wears glasses]], but he's actually a C student whose best subject is P.E.
* '''Double Subverted''':
** Except in math, where he has the top grade.
** [[ObfuscatingStupidity He's only pretending to suck at math]]; he's actually just as good at it as he is with other subjects.
** He only gets mediocre grades because he's BrilliantButLazy.

** Sam gets an A- and [[TheBGrade goes to pieces]]
* '''Zig Zagged''': Some Asians are good students, others aren't.

* '''Lampshaded''': "So, just because I'm Japanese, I'm automatically good at math?"
* '''Invoked''': All eyes are on Sam as he comes up to the board to do a math problem.
* '''Exploited''': Alice asks Sam for help with a math problem because she thinks Asians are good at math.
* '''Defied''':
** Sam is tired of people assuming he's good at math because he's Asian, so he [[ObfuscatingStupidity purposely pretends to be bad at it]] (or if he actually is bad at math, makes no secret about it). He's also a bit of a slacker when it comes to studying.
** Or while intelligent, he is much more interested in the creative arts than academic fields.
* '''Discussed''': "Unlike what your favourite television program would have you believe, Asians are not always the [[SmartGuy Smart Guys]]."

* '''Deconstructed''':
** It's not that Asians are inherently smarter than everyone else, it's a cultural thing encouraging hard work and studiousness. Sam has to study and work hard to get good grades, regardless of both his IQ and his ethnic background.
** Alternatively, people just assume Sam is good at math, etc. just because he's Asian, which puts a lot of pressure on him. That can cause him to get nervous and make mistakes.
** Sam's cousin Hiro DOESN'T fit the model-minority stereotype, and is dismissed by his parents as a "failure" because [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous he gets C's and B's instead of straight A's]]. Hiro is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter constantly compared to Sam]], suffers a lot of depression and anxiety, and eventually drops out of high school and joins a gang.
* '''Reconstructed''':
** But Sam's hard work certainly pays off, and he reaps the benefits, including scholarships and good grades.
** Sam gives Hiro support whenever he can, despite everyone telling him to give up on the family's "bad egg" and focus on his own life. It pays off a couple of years later when Hiro finally moves past his emotional issues, leaves the gang life, and gets his GED.
* '''Played For Drama''':
** [[BadassBookworm Sam's intellect]] saves the day.
** Sam is extremely intelligent because his parents force him to study intensively and severely punish him whenever he makes even a small mistake in his homework. All of this means that he has no free time, and no social life. While he is smart, he is also very unhappy. He may even shut down and become a {{Hikikomori}}.
* '''Played For Laughs:'''
** Sam finds that since he's so smart, he practically doesn't find anything challenging anymore.

* '''Straight''': Makoto has the top grades in his class, and is really good at math and [[ScienceHero science]].

** Makoto already has a Ph.D or two, even though he is [[ChildProdigy only 12]].

** Makoto is a MasterOfAll, a BadassBookworm or a GeniusBruiser.
* '''Downplayed''': Makoto is a decent student, but [[ScienceHero science is one of his stronger subjects]].

** Makoto just happens to be a very gifted student and a hard worker, character traits he'd have regardless of race.
** Makoto is under cultural pressure to please his {{family|Honor}} (especially [[EducationMama his mom]]) by working hard to achieve a lot in school.

** [[AsianAirhead Makoto]] is BookDumb ([[IdiotHero and not particularly street smart, either]]).

** Makoto gets average grades.
** Alternatively, Makoto is good at everything else, but [[FMinusMinus *really* sucks at math]].
** Makoto seems brainy because he's quiet and [[SmartPeopleWearGlasses wears glasses]], but he's actually a C student whose best subject is P.E.

** Bob asks Makoto for help with math, only to find out that Makoto is just as bad at math as Bob is.

** Makoto gets an A- and [[TheBGrade goes to pieces]]

* '''Averted''': Makoto is an average student.

* '''Invoked''': All eyes are on Makoto as he comes up to the board to do a math problem.
* '''Exploited''': Alice asks Makoto for help with a math problem because she thinks Asians are good at math.

** Makoto is tired of people assuming he's good at math because he's Asian, so he [[ObfuscatingStupidity purposely pretends to be bad at it]] (or if he actually is bad at math, makes no secret about it). He's also a bit of a slacker when it comes to studying.

** It's not that Asians are inherently smarter than everyone else, it's a cultural thing encouraging hard work and studiousness. Makoto has to study and work hard to get good grades, regardless of both his IQ and his ethnic background.
** Alternatively, people just assume Makoto is good at math, etc. just because he's Asian, which puts a lot of pressure on him. That can cause him to get nervous and make mistakes.
** Makoto's cousin Hiro DOESN'T fit the model-minority stereotype, and is dismissed by his parents as a "failure" because [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous he gets C's and B's instead of straight A's]]. Hiro is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter constantly compared to Makoto]], suffers a lot of depression and anxiety, and eventually drops out of high school and joins a gang. He tells his horrified parents that [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor since they kept calling him a failure]], [[ThenLetMeBeEvil he might as well fail HARD]].

** But Makoto's hard work certainly pays off, and he reaps the benefits, including scholarships and good grades.
** Makoto gives Hiro support whenever he can, despite everyone telling him to give up on the family's "bad egg" and focus on his own life. It pays off a couple of years later when Hiro finally moves past his emotional issues, leaves the gang life, and gets his GED.

** [[BadassBookworm Makoto's intellect]] saves the day.
** Makoto is extremely intelligent because his parents force him to study intensively and severely punish him whenever he makes even a small mistake in his homework. All of this means that he has no free time, and no social life. While he is smart, he is also very unhappy. He may even shut down and become a {{Hikikomori}}.

** Makoto finds that since he's so smart, he practically doesn't find anything challenging anymore.

** Makoto is under cultural pressure to please his {{family|Honor}} (especially [[EducationMama his mom]]) by working hard to achieve a lot in school

** [[AsianAirhead Makoto]] is BookDumb [[IdiotHero (and not particularly street smart, either.)]]

** AsianAirhead

** Alternatively, Makoto is good at everything else, but [[FMinusMinus *really* sucks at math.]]

** Makoto's cousin Hiro DOESN'T fit the model-minority stereotype, and is dismissed by his parents as a "failure" because [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous he gets C's and B's instead of straight A's.]] Hiro is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter constantly compared to Makoto]], suffers a lot of depression and anxiety, and eventually drops out of high school and joins a gang. He tells his horrified parents that [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor since they kept calling him a failure,]] [[ThenLetMeBeEvil he might as well fail HARD.]]

'''Basic Trope''': An [[TheSmartGuy intellectual character]] of Asian descent
* '''Straight''': Makoto has the top grades in his class, and is really good at math.

* '''Downplayed''': Makoto is a decent student, and math is one of his stronger subjects.

** Makoto is a MasterOfAll or a GeniusBruiser.

** Makoto's intellect saves the day.