Are you, or have you ever been a member of a group that has been stereotyped? Does your experience reflect the concepts identified in this chapter? How? Are there differences? What are they?
I have been a member of a group that has been stereotyped. Since I am of Chinese American descent, many people may classify me as caring only about academics. Some might consider me to be a geek since I wear glasses and look like an academically focused individual. It is true that most Chinese families put a lot of pressure on their sons or daughters to get straight A’s. They want them to get accepted by high profile schools such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Harvard. Fortunately, my parents are not as demanding compared to other Asian families. They accept me for who I am, and I feel truly grateful for that.
Many classmates find it surprising that I like playing sports, enjoy watching movies, and find science to be extremely difficult. I try to explain to them that not everything in life is about school and getting good grades. It is just putting too much stress in oneself if you think too much about that. Nothing has to be taken too seriously; therefore, I try my best to be calm, be active and enjoy living life to its fullest. Other people may also think that the Chinese only care only about their own kind. To their surprise, I open up to people from all cultures. I find it discouraging how some Chinese people put down other ethnicities without getting to know them. Actually, I feel more comfortable making friends of different ethnicities.
I found that my experience reflects the concepts in Chapter 5. Harris mentions that, “This person confirms our stereotypes, the stereotype, rather than the individual” (p.89). People have these perceptions of Chinese people from word or mouth or watching television. The fact is that they only know some Asians to be bookworms, but not everyone falls under the category. We are all unique in our own way, and it would be nice for others to realize that.
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I completely relate to your post about being stereotyped and the effects it can have on someone. I like that you gave your personal story about your parents being less demanding compared to other Asian families because I feel the same way when it comes to my parents. When a child is placed under pressure to achieve high academics and stressed due to the expectations, it is unfair. I also agree that individuals tend to stereotype different cultures than their own before getting to know them first, which is unfortunate. The media plays a major role in how groups, cultures, and individuals are labeled in today’s society. As you stated, each person is unique in their own way, so if an African-American male burglarizes a store, it would be unfair to label other African-American males as “possible” thieves. As the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” I feel that as you, we should also not label and individual until we become acquainted with them first.
ReplyDeleteI also agree. Labels are very ignorant. I understand that it is human to judge, or stereotype at first. But to let it block the communication you my have with an individual is unfortunate. Sometimes i feel some people don't even try to get to know different people because they believe in the certain stereotypes. I think people are missing out on getting to know great people, new friends and learning about different cultures. I work with children, and I have noticed that they don't have this ability to stereotype yet. The way that adults do. It is very reassuring to be surrounded by a positive atmosphere. It brings me more hope.
ReplyDeleteAri,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your personal example of being stereotyped. Your story shows us the many forms an individual can be stereotyped. It can be by age, sex, gender, ethnicity, appearance such as dress or hair color, and so forth. I found it interesting that every one of our classmates has been judged and stereotyped in one way or another. I am glad that you are able to overcome your particular stereotypes and show people that they are not always accurate. You stated it best; “We are all unique in our own way, and it would be nice for others to realize that”.