Media #6

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199908/student-stereotype
This article is about a man who went back to a college near where he went and gave a speech about stereotypes. He talked about how blacks are less privileged because of who they are. The author speaks “But virtually all aspects of underperformance—lower standardized-test scores, lower college grades, lower graduation rates—persist among students from the African-American middle class. This situation forces on us an uncomfortable recognition: that beyond class, something racial is depressing the academic performance of these students.” The author is referring to how black students aren’t doing as well as white or other races because there is something that deals with their race that is bothering them to not perform to their best ability with academics. Many blacks are given negative stereotypes before anyone gets to know them.
Loewen writes in the article Red Eyes about stereotypes. He refers to past times and movies that portray the olden days. He states “our textbooks do not teach against the archetype of the savage Indian that pervades popular culture. On the contrary, textbooks give very little attention of any kind to Indian wars. As a result, my college students still come up with “savage” when I ask them for five adjectives that apply to Indians. Like much of our “knowledge” about Native Americans, the “savage” stereotype comes particularly from Western movies and novels, such as the popular “Wagons West” series by Dana Fuller Ross” (117). These stereotypes don’t just relate to the Native Americans, Indians, and black people. Everyone is stereotyped in their own way. Chinese, Asians, and people of Middle Eastern decent are commonly seen as very intelligent. Mexicans are viewed as field workers, such as tomato pickers. People are given stereotypes even if they aren’t anything like where they come from or look like where they came from. I am Mexican and many people don’t know that and would not put me into that category because I am both Mexican and Caucasian and look Caucasian. Tiger Woods is also bi-racial. He is black and Asian, but most people do not realize this because he looks completely like a black person and no one would say he’s Asian if they just saw him walking down the street. People shouldn’t give other people stereotypes before have met the person.
I think stereotypes have caused a problem in society today. It prevents people from getting jobs and allowing them to do other things that may benefit him. People need to take into consideration who the person is as a person and not what they look like.