November 29, 2006
Stereotyping: Tiny Corners on the Mend
I
spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws. During dinner we talked about
racism. The conversation arose when someone shared an experience from
his workplace. Apparently, when he asked to see the ID of an elderly
African American woman, she became upset because she had never been
asked for it before. She blamed the experience on racism.
Coincidentally, this came only days after Michael Richards’ racist
tirade, which was one of the most awful displays many of us have ever
seen or heard.
It is
instances such as these that remind us that, even now – over 40 years
since the civil rights movement, over 140 years since the Civil War –
racial tension has yet to be eradicated from our society.
But I
am finished with the word racism. I think it is all but dead. A racist
believes that “race is the primary determinant of human traits and
capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority
for a particular race.” It has no direct connection to discrimination.
Racism is merely a belief that almost no one maintains any longer.
Racism
is not America’s problem.
Our
country, along with others in the world, is struggling with cultural
tension stemming from the rapid integrating of societies, all of which
have their own, long and specific histories. To say that, “Most
inner-city African-American kids like basketball,” or “Chinese people
tend to like the Houston Rockets,” is not racist, just as it is not
racist to say, “Most Americans can’t speak two full sentences in any
language other than English.” These are stereotypes, not racist remarks.
Allow
me to assure you that everyone stereotypes. And while there are probably
any number of psychological explanations for why we stereotype, and why
some of us may do it more frequently than others, the only reason
stereotypes ever came into existence is personal experience.
Whether it is stereotyping middle Americans as rednecks who love NASCAR,
professional wrestling and George Bush, citizens of Seattle as pothead
hippies who complain too much, male stylists as gay, Pentecostals as
charismatic and hypocritical wack-jobs, women as moody, men as
oblivious, old people as smelly, Latinos as over-zealous auto-mechanics,
Canadians as disturbingly nice, classical musicians as snobs, artists as
pretentious and depressed chain-smokers and alcoholics, Jews as
big-noses who are careful with money, African Americans as rappers and
basketball players who wear baggy clothing and shiny jewelry or
homosexuals as unable to converse about anything other than
homosexuality or fashion, every one of us, or at least anyone I’ve ever
known beyond a handshake, stereotypes.
But I
don’t think stereotyping, in and of itself, is the problem. As I said,
most stereotypes stem from experience. The problems are a bit more
complicated.
It is
a problem that many of us are sick to death of the truth behind many of
our stereotypes, and we content ourselves to store up hateful attitudes
instead of sympathy, understanding and active problem solving.
It is
also a problem that Americans are constantly throwing around the word
“racism,” without realizing the magnitude of what the term actually
claims. The result is rarely increased understanding. It is usually
oversensitivity on the part of both the alleged victims of racism, and
those who feel obligated to do anything and everything to ensure that
they are not labeled as bigots. As long as the word “racism” lives on
with such liberality, the separation between races will only increase.
The
other problem is that, while we fiercely defend the exceptions to
stereotypes, we ignore the ugly truth behind some of them. Some cultural
tendencies are harmless or even constructive. But others are not.
While
it is not a good idea to flippantly throw around stereotypes in our
everyday conversations, there is nothing wrong with discussing them.
They ought to be discussed. A discussion about a stereotype, especially
among the stereotyped, could very readily bring about an attitude of
responsibility, instead an attitude of defense. Although it would rarely
be a comfortable experience to consider a negative stereotype about
one’s own race, demographic, minority or group, what harm can come from
asking firstly, is it true, and secondly, how can we help to improve the
situation?
While
some stereotypes are considerably hurtful and some of us are stereotyped
more frequently than others, the worst response is to get ticked off and
blame everyone else, no matter how natural these response may feel. As
usual, the responsible, most effective response is the most difficult.
We must ask ourselves, am I helping or hurting myself and those around
me? For while all we can truly affect is our own wounded, tiny corner of
the world, what we can hope for is a world overwhelmed with tiny corners
on the mend.
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