“Show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.” This is a quote from the TED talk “The danger of a single story”, read by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, showing how ignorance can affect our opinion of something. In this speech, Adichie addresses her childhood and how having only a “single story” of a person can be the way they are viewed as a whole, when in reality, there is much more. She shows that there is a deeper root to every story and it’s important not to let our minds lead us to generalizations. Touching on subjects like race, geographic regions, and literature, Adichie gives numerous personal examples of being stereotyped and, unknowingly, committing the crime herself. “The danger of
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Mexicans are criminals, Asians are math geniuses, Africans are starving and many more stereotypes that are displayed by the news and internet. It is not until someone have visited these places and interacted with these people, a level of unimaginable insight gained. Growing up, traveling has been an enormous part of my life. Having gone to places like Nicaragua, Spain, Greece, China, Vietnam, Ireland, Mexico and many more all before the age of 18, I have been able to mature more quickly than others. Now having said this, I did go into these countries with a stereotype but I came out with a wider eyes each time. My experiences have allowed me to view the world differently than most people and to have many stories of the world. I grew up knowing that the privileges taken for granted everyday, like brushing our teeth and taking showers, some people would literally die for. I grew up seeing how talented the vietnamese people are in the area of art and craft making instead of just mathematics. I grew up seeing hispanics not as workers but as people who have incredible love for their families and everyone around them, exchanged through dance and song. Stereotypes are inevitable, but “the problem with stereotypes are not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete”. This story along with traveling has taught me that is extremely important to be aware of the value of keeping an open
Mexicans are criminals, Asians are math geniuses, Africans are starving and many more stereotypes that are displayed by the news and internet. It is not until someone have visited these places and interacted with these people, a level of unimaginable insight gained. Growing up, traveling has been an enormous part of my life. Having gone to places like Nicaragua, Spain, Greece, China, Vietnam, Ireland, Mexico and many more all before the age of 18, I have been able to mature more quickly than others. Now having said this, I did go into these countries with a stereotype but I came out with a wider eyes each time. My experiences have allowed me to view the world differently than most people and to have many stories of the world. I grew up knowing that the privileges taken for granted everyday, like brushing our teeth and taking showers, some people would literally die for. I grew up seeing how talented the vietnamese people are in the area of art and craft making instead of just mathematics. I grew up seeing hispanics not as workers but as people who have incredible love for their families and everyone around them, exchanged through dance and song. Stereotypes are inevitable, but “the problem with stereotypes are not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete”. This story along with traveling has taught me that is extremely important to be aware of the value of keeping an open