Stereotypes: Do They Affect You? | Teen Ink

Stereotypes: Do They Affect You?

January 21, 2009
By Anonymous

If you don’t already know, a stereotype is a generalization that is usually exaggerated or oversimplified and is often offensive to distinguish a group.

Imagine this: A middle aged man who is a hard worker and finished college with a degree in management. He applies for a job as a gas station manager for a major gas station company. He is the most qualified out of all the other applicants yet does not get the job. You may ask why he doesn’t get the job. I’ll tell you why. This is because he’s Arab and comes from a country that America is at war with.


This situation is only one of the many stereotypes that occurs everyday. Just because someone is of a certain ethnicity or religion, that doesn’t mean you can stereotype into groups.


Stereotypes are hurtful and most of the time untrue. Her are some examples of stereotypes:
•
Every Arab is a terrorist
•
Every Hispanic person is Mexican
•
Every white American is rich
•
Every white Southerner is racist
•
All Blondes are stupid
•
Every Hispanic person in America is an illegal immigrant
•
Every German is a Nazi
•
Every British person has messed up yellow teeth

These are only a few of the harmful stereotypes that are out there in the world.


If you’ve ever been the victim of a stereotype, which is a good probability, you know that they can cause you to do unnecessary things. They could make you lash out in rage or even confront that person face to face.


The chances are that if you stereotype someone more than once and mean it that could push them to do something irrational. America was built on the whole idea of “freedom” and “freedom of religion”. Yet, no one really accepts that and there is still segregation everywhere, whether it’s religious or ethnicity wise.


I have pretty light skin and no one would ever guess that I’m a Muslim or even Arab. My dad has pretty dark skin has been a Muslim all his life. I was also born a Muslim. My mom has light skin and that’s where I get my green eyes, my red hair, and my light skin from. If you saw me in the streets and I told my background, you’d probably think I’m lying. People always ask me if I’m a terrorist or if I know any when I first meet them. I always say no but they never believe me. The word terrorist means someone who causes terror or frightens others. The truth is, stereotypes give us ideas and push us to believe things that aren’t true.


Most people are affected by stereotypes and really don’t know it. There is really no person in this whole world that isn’t affected by stereotypes. Because of stereotypes, we don’t have quality of life. And without quality of life we can’t enjoy life. This is one of the main reasons people do not get along with each other and why people are separated by what they look like or by ethnic background. If we abolish all stereotypes we will finally be able to enjoy life without hate and without conflict. So, I ask you, can we do it?


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This article has 50 comments.


on Oct. 12 2010 at 1:32 pm
emjay1216 SILVER, Eugene, Oregon
6 articles 3 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
Often times, the test of courage is not to die, but to live.
~ Vittorio Alfieri

OMG....theatre rules!! I was friends with this senior last year who was lesbian, and everybody thought that about me too.  Now my family thinks i am just because i say 'i love u' tomy friends who just happen 2b gurls....whtever, let em think that...

on Oct. 12 2010 at 1:29 pm
emjay1216 SILVER, Eugene, Oregon
6 articles 3 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
Often times, the test of courage is not to die, but to live.
~ Vittorio Alfieri

I know right? I'm black, but i talk like a, *sarcastic gap* --i'm gonna borrow that btw--white girl...i'm adopted, and my parents are white.  The kids at school who "act black" make fun of me...its so stupid.

Turtledove7 said...
on Sep. 30 2010 at 9:43 am
Thats sad but i feel you so am i LOVE hot topic

Turtledove7 said...
on Sep. 30 2010 at 9:41 am
I think its really sad to see people discrimnating against hispanics or anyone let me know if you feel the same way.

Kamal A. said...
on Sep. 20 2010 at 7:43 pm
Oh I am so sorry, I was recently in a stereotypical situation at the time and I didn't think anything through. It just flowed and I didn't read it over. That probably would have made my article 100% better.

on Sep. 20 2010 at 5:51 pm
PurpleFeather BRONZE, Canton, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The pen is mightier than the sword." - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

This is a very good article, but why didn't you list any stereotypes for black people? There are only a million out there, probably more than there are for any other groups. I don't understand how you could write an article about stereotypes and discrimination, and not mention anything about the biggest minority in America.

on Aug. 29 2010 at 2:19 am
WaterWatcher SILVER, Houston, Texas
9 articles 0 photos 27 comments

Favorite Quote:
Good things don't just happen to those that wait but to those that do.

I've had to deal with stereotyping since i was five and moved to my current home which is in a nice town just outside a big city in the south and im the top ranked student every year but sadly ppl think i cheat since im*sarcastic gasp* black. So yeah i get all these comments like"Dont u think u should be out in the fields picking my cotten"and that gets me super ticked so i joined the student law club at school and im now the most important person to students who suffer from stereotypical abuse. after this school its law school to study to become the best lawer for racism charges. srry for the spleal i jus get so fired up about this stuff X(

Kamal A. said...
on Aug. 28 2010 at 12:48 am
I just can't understand why people can't respect other peoples descisions and drop all the hate. 

Kamal A. said...
on Aug. 28 2010 at 12:42 am
Im sorry i didnt include that but youre are 100% correct! Its like just because were not christian or catholic or even mormen that were from a distant world. Thats just put it this way, people these days are very ignorant

daffe10 said...
on Jun. 24 2010 at 11:02 am
I know what you mean. I can relate to at least four of those stereotypes. I am born an American, and many people have assumed my family is rich, even though we are not. I have German in my blood, so many people think that I am a Nazi. I am also blonde, so many people think I'm  bimbo and know so much about makeup and clothes, and they laugh when I tell them I want to go to Harvard Law School. I am also from the South, so many people think I am racist when I actually try to help people that feel segregated and I want to help with the cultural disputes.

on May. 31 2010 at 6:47 pm
kodabear95 SILVER, Northglenn, Colorado
7 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
Certain things catch the eye, but pursue only the things that capture the heart. - old Indian saying

stereotyping is a huge issue for me. since i'm half Native, people tend to assume my family is just a bunch of drunks. it's the total opposite of that actually. and I'm tired of the government ignoring treaties made with us hundreds of years ago because they think we don't matter. well i'm intent on changing that, whether it means becoming a politician so I can become President, or joining AIM (American Indian Movement). sorry for my ranting haha :)

on May. 11 2010 at 6:38 pm
MUSICisLIFE1429, Munster, Indiana
0 articles 3 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Practice doesnt make perfect. Perfect practice make perfect.

I do a lot of theatre and one of my best friends is a lesbian. so i get called a lesbian, but thats the nice name they call me. it gets a lot worse when i walk next to her. but no way am i gonna let those people ruin my friendship with her just because she isn't straight. It's ridiculous that just by walking next to a gay person, having a totally normal conversation, that people assume i'm gay. it's ridiculous and this needs to stop now.

on May. 11 2010 at 6:31 pm
MUSICisLIFE1429, Munster, Indiana
0 articles 3 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
Practice doesnt make perfect. Perfect practice make perfect.

Thats happened to me too! one time my big family was over and the only pop we had left was diet pepsi so i took one. everyone in my family flipped out when they saw me drinking it and i ended up not drinking it to put an end to this ridiculous situation!

on May. 11 2010 at 2:41 pm
ellemarie BRONZE, Georgetown, Massachusetts
4 articles 0 photos 16 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure." -Douglas Adams

One steriotype you are forgetting, just saying, is people who are Jewish.  There are only, what, 5 or 6 kids in my grade who are Jewish, only two (me and this guy) are Bat Mitzvah.  I'm not very religious, but I do know some things about Judaism.  It irks me that sometimes when I say that I am Jewish, people automatically turn to me when they are looking for religious answers.  Some of the stuff they ask would stump a rabbi, let alone me.  Just saying, Muslims aren't the only ones being persecuted religiously.  I guess we all kind of are.

on Apr. 24 2010 at 10:02 am
agtha.shellen SILVER, Clifton, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Don't walk behind me, I may not lead; Walk beside me, and just be my friend.
Albert Camus
A mere friend will agree with you, but a real friend will argue.
Russian Proverb

This is for Houda A. I totally agree with you. I always heard about discrimination against Muslims,women esp., but i never new what or how it felt because all mylife i was in islamic school, and still am, but when i started going out and volunteering i started to see and hear the discrmination and stereotypes. But it made me stronger and im telling you ignore them. Usually the ones that act like that are, most of the time, the ignorent ones. The educated ones understand what religious freedom is. And for Kamal A. i believe that WE can. and fyi r u guyz related.

(sorry i put it as a new comment instead of a reply)


on Apr. 20 2010 at 8:07 am
MissFaber SILVER, Wayne, New Jersey
5 articles 0 photos 156 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nothing Less.

I'm a Muslim girl living in NJ, and I know exactly what you mean by stereotypes. Thank God that NJ is a bit multicultural, so it isn't like people don't know whoMuslims are. But I got exposed to these types of stereotypes you are talking about. For one, I went to DC for a leadership conference, and I was the only girl out of 500 kids that wore the hijab. And these random people from Utah would come up to e and be like "What's with the hat?" and  make really rude comments. People avoided me like I had the plague. Then our faculty advisor had to choose one kid out of the 500 to get up on the podium and talk about their experience on our last day there, and he chose me, even though I've never talked to him. Everyone was shocked when I delievered a statement about my experience there, but they treated me better. The only way to fix all this is to fix what is within ourselves and to be strong.

on Apr. 19 2010 at 5:46 pm
RipponLeaEnergise BRONZE, Clayton, Other
1 article 4 photos 76 comments

Favorite Quote:
"how wonderful it is that nobody has to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"

Anne Frank

thank gos someone is speaking up about sterreotyping. me being arab ive been beaten and bashed becauseof my race and im sick of it. keep on writing, because people havew to know were all human, and we all have feelings!

on Apr. 19 2010 at 12:26 pm
agtha.shellen SILVER, Clifton, New Jersey
6 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Don't walk behind me, I may not lead; Walk beside me, and just be my friend.
Albert Camus
A mere friend will agree with you, but a real friend will argue.
Russian Proverb

This is for Houda A. I totally agree with you. I always heard about discrimination against Muslims,women esp., but i never new what or how it felt because all mylife i was in islamic school, and still am, but when i started going out and volunteering i started to see and hear the discrmination and stereotypes. But it made me stronger and im telling you ignore them. Usually the ones that act like that are, most of the time, the ignorent ones. The educated ones understand what religious freedom is. And for Kamal A. i believe that WE can. and fyi r u guyz related.

on Apr. 10 2010 at 7:27 pm
kaileeboo BRONZE, Ravenna, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 16 comments
i am gay and that is not a good thing it is hatefull and hurts so if u have gay friends hold them tight cas we are the ones that need help

ToyRe GOLD said...
on Mar. 9 2010 at 10:30 am
ToyRe GOLD, Monterey, California
12 articles 3 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
"This too shall pass." and " When God leads to a cliff, jump, because He'll either catch you or teach you how to fly."

I know they affect me. Since I'm dark, people are amazed when I talk and they always say, Oh wow you are so proper like every black is supposed to live in the ghetto and be illiterate