Stereotyped

p The Challenges of Stereotyping

The world is diversified with different cultures . Each culture is distinctive from the other , thus , popular traits and impressions make a culture of people known . These popular impressions generalize the characteristics and traits of a certain group of people which helps identify it . For example , it is obvious that when you hear the word `kung-fu ' you immediately think of the Chinese culture . When you see kimonos , you know it 's Japanese . The Crocodile Dundee look is Australian . Burritos and fajitas are obviously Mexican . Identification of a

culture is easy because of the popular icons and figures that connects with it

Stereotyping is an act of identifying a culture based on first impressions . This act is everything but positive . A certain culture is usually regarded with sarcasm and prejudice . Stereotyping generalizes a culture in forms of mockery . For example , you know that Mexicans always cross the b , so they are stereotyped as `wetbacks ' This is a form of mockery because for the fact is , most Mexicans illegally cross the b by lying on their backs and sliding across the river b This doesn 't mean , however , that all Mexicans cross the b illegally . It will be unfair if a Mexican is called a `wetback ' because that Mexican might not have crossed the b illegally , yet was called as such . This is what stereotyping does . Another way to stereotype is exemplified especially during the 9 /11 attack . The Muslims had never been so prejudiced and abhorred by the public in their lives

Let us take a look at two acclaimed authors : Brent Staples and Judith Ortiz Cofer . Brent Staples earned Ph . D ' in Psychology from the University of Chicago . He worked at the Chicago Sun-Times and wrote for other periodicals too . He also worked as an assistant metropolitan editor ' for New York Times in 1985 , and is presently on that 's editorial board (Staples , B ) Judith Ortiz Cofer is a poet essayist , and novelist ' She was born in Puerto Rico in 1952 . She has written extensively on being reared with her parents ' traditional island culture while growing up in New Jersey (Cofer , J . O

These authors are much acclaimed in their own rights and their professional backgrounds are quite impressive . Though impressive their backgrounds are , they have one thing in common : they both experienced being discriminated and stereotyped . They both wrote their awful experiences on being stereotyped . Staples wrote Black Men and Public Space ' which is about his experience on extreme prejudism the fact he is black . He accounted so many times on how other people , especially the white ones , got so intimidated by his mere presence . His mere presence being a black person is thief so many times , a mugger and even a rapist . Now if you were in Staples ' shoes , how would you feel if people around you judge you easily by the color of your skin ? How would you feel if a police pulled you over just because you 're black and would 've...