Sterotyping Essay, Research Paper

It was a hot summer day; a friend and I were driving through downtown Rochester. My friend is very smart and sometimes outspoken; however on the other hand, I like to listen and wait until something offends me to speak. Then all of the sudden my friend yells ?hey look an accident?. Of coarse the natural thing to do is to drive by and see what happened. It looked to me if a young lady and middle aged man were both some what confessed on what just happened Then my outspoken friend says to me, ?I bet you it was that dumb Asian girls fault?. My friend makes it apparent that, although we live in a society filled with many different cultures and races, we are not moving towards a ?melting pot? situation, we as individuals are often defined by our culture. The only way to brake stereotyping is to make your own individual decision; therefore becoming more true to ones self.

Since the beginning of our lives parents have somehow brainwashed us into stereotyping individuals at first glance. Whether it be deserved or undeserved each person is stereotyped whether they like or not. Ones parent?s ideas or values are defiantly pushed upon he or she at a young age. Someone once said to me ?if you are taught something seven times the brain will not forgot.? After these views are installed they will always be there in the back of ones mind; of course the older one becomes the more he or she, will make he or she?s own decision. Remember without even thinking he or she?s mind will go over those morals that were brain washed into your mind.

When teenagers try to express themselves through clothing peers look down upon them. At school when he or she sees a group of Somalia?s go by. First instinct is to look the other way; however it seems very childish that he or she would not speak to someone because of the way they dress. Yet if ones friends see he or she talking to a group not normal, they will defiantly tease he or she and make he or she an outcast of the norm. Does a culture have to change just because it is not normal it seems to me that being ones self is what America is all about.

Has he or she ever not liked someone simply because they look like someone he or she did not like. That seems pretty silly, but every day we seem to do it. When somebody runs into he or she are going to come to the assumption that all people like him are jerks. Hating a society just because of one individual action is a good indication that stereotyping is a big part of today?s society. Just because one African-American kills someone does not mean all African-Americans are bad. That is individual decision that he killed someone not a cultural decision. People need to open their eyes when dealing with stereotypes.

Much of the problems go back to the home, yet this is not the only place where stereotyping happens. But those values are taught at a young age, which makes a difference. As hard as children try, they will almost never try to understand another culture of fear of being disliked by others. When a person has a minor run in with another culture, it seems you will make a snap judgement on others on just the way they look. Braking stereotypes is to make ones own individual decision, however after ones parent?s morals are ingrained it is hard to make true decision.