Stereotyping, judging everyone does it. Be it conscious or not, when you see someone there's always that first thought; whether it's that "emo" kid that listens to Black Veil Brides way too loud and wears mostly black, or that "intimidating" African American guy, or the "stupid" blonde cheerleader, almost everyone stereotypes.
This week, we had to read "Black Men and Public Space" by Brent Staples and he talks about how people constantly stereotype him as one of those scary black guys that's a threat to the well-being of society. He explains many instances where he's been mistaken for a criminal just because of how he looks and where he's from. This is also similar to the pieces we read towards the beginning of the school year about Native Americans being stereotyped as stoic drunks. The stereotypes of both groups of people tend to come from the media; Native Americans have been represented as the stoic, long, straight, black haired sidekicks in many Western TV shows and movies, and African Americans have been represented as either intimidating criminals or crazy women with no respect because of show like "Hardcore Pawn."
Although I agree it is difficult to break stereotyping habits, I believe through the exposure of people different then ourselves it becomes easier to be open minded. After giving ourselves the opportunity to see through the eyes of another, it will be easier to relate to and sympathize with all different types of people. Nice job comparing Staples piece with the Native American pieces we read earlier this year!
ReplyDeleteI really like the connection you made between the African American literature and the Native American literature that we have read this year! Also, it's very true that the media and sometimes even our families raise us with these ideas about certain cultures, so it is very difficult to break away from them. Great post!
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