"Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful." (Margaret Mead) There are times when I joke with friends about the preposterous and disrespectful stereotypes that society and social media has created about people. One of my friends in particular, is sensitive to these stereotypes, which is firsthand proof for me that these are not just "harmless jokes". How my friend has reacted at times shows me that these stereotypes affect what people think of her before they even get to know her, because of the moronic "jokes" and stereotypes told about Pacific Islanders. Yet to show how truly childish and harmful these stereotypes are, even adolescents and those 4th Grade and over are fooled into think these should be taking lightly. Most people who are proud of who they are fear that stereotypes could possibly ruin their future.
As an African Male (American Citizen) born in Bori Rivers, Nigeria, the reaction from most of peers when they hear of where I'm from is always the same. Their are silly little jokes told, especially those based off of social stereotypes, like for example; the assumed "lack" of civilization, hunting animals for food, slave jokes, being athletic only because of the continent where I was born, and eating a lot because I am constantly "starving", etcetera. Some of those are, as I said, harmless, forgotten as soon as they are said. To tell the truth, I was on both the giving and receiving end of these jokes. However, I know that there are even worse cases of this, I know that there are people who believe many African-Americans are not educated, are fools, and have no goals in life, and those are the types of stereotypes I want to avoid. I don't want people to look at me and say "He's not going anywhere in life," or "he's not focused on anything," or anything along the lines of "He'll just let you down... he can't be trusted". It scares me to think of the possibility that people I've never met before think these things as I'm greeting them, that these people think their is no chance I could be anything more than what they hear from stereotypes, and that the social expectation of the things I could accomplish in life is limited.
