Derogatory Stereotypes

There are many categories of stereotypes. There are those that society embraces and facilitates, those that are formed by groups of people with regard to themselves and others, and finally there are your own personal stereotypes that you apply to people in any given situation. They can, in some circumstances, be positive but for the most part they are negative thus giving the wrong impression of who people are and how they truly act. I think on a whole, most people know that it is wrong to use stereotypes to judge people in a negative manner, yet so many of us fail to even realize that we are using stereotypes. Unless you are someone who has been or is directly affected, on a regular basis, by a stereotype I think most of society never thinks …show more content…
You instead form new ones, and while they still put people into boxes they can be used in a positive manner. You can choose not to spread the negative and incorrect ideas that most stereotypes perpetuate. I believe I am of an age that allows me to discount most derogatory stereotypes simply because they do not fit with what I know. On the other hand, I also understand that if I am not diligent about how I see the world, I can and will fail to notice the subtler negative images and misinformation that bombards my daily life and the damage it is capable of causing.
For example, “all Mexican’s are lazy.” I hear this often, and I know it to be blatantly untrue. I do not think I would believe such a sweeping statement anyway, but in my personal life I’ve never met a lazy Mexican. I’m sure they are out there, but every Mexican I have ever worked with has been extremely hard working. “All Indian’s are drunks.” While I know that alcoholism is high among Native populations, all the Native American’s I know drink responsibly or not at all. Again, this means that I will simply dismiss this …show more content…
It sounds like a terrific program and knowing what I know now, this billboard actually makes a very powerful statement. The program places non-college graduates with excellent skill sets in positions that they would not normally be considered for. Unfortunately, I know many employers and hiring personnel, in the area who are “tired of having diversity shoved down their throats,” and of being “made to hire” unqualified people based on skin color. I am always shocked and appalled to hear these types of statements. The conversation that follows always seems to go the same way. I will ask how many qualified white applicants they turned away to hire this unqualified minority, and the response is always, none. When I ask how the new hire is performing, they are generally happy with them. There may be a bit of grumbling about having to train them, but when I ask if they do not usually have to train people to take over a new position the response is always, “that isn’t the point.” I have yet to have one of these people explain what “the point” really is to me and the conversation usually ends awkwardly, with them unsure what to say other than something to change the subject. Why do they continue to embrace stereotypes that they plainly see are untrue? Chimamanda Adichie speaks of the dangers of only one story and how it can distort your perspective of what you believe to be true, but she also speaks to the ability of people to adjust their