Latino Stereotypes Essay

Stereotypes are our mental schemas of the world and the individuals that populate the world. Humans categorize everything, to help make better sense of it all. We do not have the time to get to know everyone and as a result we rely on these mental schemas to make quick inferences about individuals. Stereotypes have the power to influence our own personal experiences and how we interact with others. I identify as Latino, more specifically, I identify as Chicano Latino. Chicano Latinos are those who are born here or moved to the U.S at a very early age. This distinction is important to note because I face discrimination on both sides of the Mexican-American border. There are many Latino stereotypes in the U.S; I am listing the ones most prevalent to me. Latinos are gangbangers, they are lazy, they are undocumented immigrants, they are gardeners, and they are also hardworking. Native Mexicans hold their own stereotype of Chicano Latinos, which is that they are rich and snobby. I should also address the two contradicting stereotypes, which are, Latinos are lazy, but they are also hardworking. The stereotype that Latinos are lazy stream from …show more content…
I try to live up to the stereotype that Latinos are hard workers. I have a job in construction and I always try to move faster than the other guys of other races. Perhaps the most common stereotype is that Latinos are all undocumented immigrants. As a result, I found myself making it clear that I was here legally. I would dress as white as possible. My godfather had being detained for deportation and my mother and I went to visit him. I was born here and knew I had nothing to fear walking into that Immigration holding facility. Yet, I felt the urge to make it clear that I was not here illegally. I wore my Air Force cadet jacket because I wanted to appear as legal as possible. I had changed the way I dressed that day solely to avoid a common