Stereotypes
...uperficial, vicious, rednecks, and bigots. There stereotypes just like black peoples are reinforced in movies were black people are the servants and killers and the white people are sluttish and cruel. Everyone sees and complains about their portrayal, yet it’s what we pay to go see at the movies. Shanelle, a friend of mine, is a part of the fastest growing race in the nation. She’s mixed with black and white, and has had experiences with stereotyping from both the white and black perspectives. Shanelle just recently had an experience with stereotyping of both races at the same time. She works at a shoe store and is constantly asked questions, by a lot of different people, about shoes and everything pertaining to her store everyday. One day this lady asked Shanelle for a particular size in a shoe, and Shanelle must not have heard her because she didn’t answer. Instead of the lady thinking she was ignoring her or daydreaming, she assumed Shanelle was confused! Her logic was mixed people are always confused, because everything in their minds goes back to; they’re never knowing if they should be acting white or black. I find her theory highly ignorant, but I guess it made since in her mind that she just couldn’t identify with both races. The always- illegal aliens, are poor, and dumb. It sad that when most people think of illegal aliens, they think of Mexicans or Puerto-Ricans, because both of there states are so close to ours. It’s impossible for them to have received the papers necessary to be legal and be legally allowed in the country. My neighbor’s son, Ian, is mixed with Mexican and Chinese, and he says everywhere he goes he’s reminded of it. He had won a scholarship award essay contest, and to claim your check he had to go to a dinner. He was being introduced while he was in the bathroom, so the introducer made a comment about him remembering the old days when he was hiding from the illegal immigration people, and he got back just in time to hear that part of the introduction. No one else thought anything of it and laughed, and he recalls it as one of the most embarrassing “big” days of his life. These stereotypes, I have no idea why they are or where they came from! The stereotypes for Chinese people are far from the ones I know, being from California. The typical Chinese stereotypes are them being clannish, shrewd, and reserved. I’ve never seen a car over-packed with Chinese, but I’ve seen plenty cars over-packed with Mexicans, and Mexicans aren’t labeled as clannish people. Actually I’ve seen different types of people all packed up in a car, and I didn’t automatically relate it to them being clannish Mexicans. The first time I remember being introduced to stereotypes was at home, back when I was 5 or 6 years old. It was a statement made by a member of my family when they were dropping me off to school one day. It was made about a tanned lady taking her time crossing the street. Instead of the reasoning for the situation being that she was elderly it was because she was a lazy Mexican. At the time I thought nothing of it; now looking back on it I’m ashamed that someone in my family made the comment. On the other side, stereotypes are used sometimes to help people categorize things they don’t know about or understand. Then they later recall that information when they see or cross paths with that type of person. Their opinion of that type of person might change for the better or be a contradiction of the stereotype, but they might say that that one person is an exception. Not all stereotypes about people are bad or are mad by bad people. Some stereotypes and don’t realize they do it, but the others who do feel a superiority to the group of people they stereotype. Everyone knows that our generation is a bright and bound to do big things generation. I know simply saying that we should end stereotyping would be easier said than done, but if we start with ourselves we can. Since I have been thinking about our unconsciou...