YOUNIQUEYOUR PROOF THAT EVERGREEN IS BETTER THAN THE STEREOTYPES

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YOUNIQUEYOUR PROOF THAT EVERGREEN IS BETTER THAN THE STEREOTYPES

SO WHAT ARE STEREOTYPES?

of people are called stereotypes. When you stereotype, you hastily judge and assume things about someone you barely know, based on sketchy precon-ceptions about the group they identify with.

And let’s admit it, we all stereotype (I know I do!), consciously and subconciously. That’s just how our brains perceive and organize things, we label people and we assume things about them.

Still, it is important for us to realize that all these stereotypes that are said so many times as if they were facts, and seem so real in our heads, are unsubstantial. Sure, stereotypes can sometimes be funny but what some of you might never think about is that, at the same time, they are negatively effecting us in so many huge ways.

And that’s what this book is all about, understanding what stereotyping does to our society, then deciding whether or not the fun is worth the trouble.

“Asians are good at math. Black people are good at sports. Men are insensitive. Women can’t

STEREOTYPE THREAT:STEREOTYPES ON SOCiETY

Stereotypes, both positive and negative, are not

First off, they hinder relationships.

Stereotypes are like walls that separate you from people in your life. By stereotyping, you refuse to acknowledge the individuality of those who are around you. And by holding prejudices against a person, you refuse to see them for who they are.

How can you develop a meaningful relationship with someone when all you see is their race, gender, age etc., and your own “idea” of who they are?

Negative stereotypes are not only offensive, but also suppressive. Stereotypes that say you can’t do this, you can’t do that can stop you from doing just those things. This psychological phenomenon, where your brain buys into a suppressive stereotype and results in you being in-

stereotype threat.’ Negative stereotypes can limit us from reaching our full potential.Take a look at this compare-and-contrast social

Americans don’t do well at school’, by Professor Claude Steele of the Stanford Department of Psychology.

First Prof.Steele gave a mixed group of White and African American sophomores questions from the Graduate Re-quirement Examination (GRE) and told them that the test would measure their “innate intellectual ability.” The results

their African American counterpart.

Prof. Steele ran this test again with a different group of students, however, this time he stressed that it would not be a “measure of their intelligence.” The results came that the scores by White students and African American students were virtually indifferent.

When those African American students were told that the test was to judge their intelligence, all those negative stereotypes about their race started to kick in. Then they started to panick and worry, about being prejudged, mis-judged, and most importantly being the proof that those stereotypes were right. The anxiety was so big that it actually prevented those students from performing at their true ability.

Positive stereotypes can be misleading. They make people disregard their personal achievements as criteria they are “supposed to” meet because they belong in that

drive people away from their real interests and talents because they try or are forced to conform.

For example, the stereotype that all Asians are good at math, makes Asian math prodigies feel less special about themselves (of course I’m good at math, aren’t we all supposed to be?), and make kids that are good at something else but not math, think that there’s something wrong about them, and spend their lives trying to pursue something they don’t even like.

What I’m trying to say is stereotypes suck in every way; they kill dreams, they ruin lives, they demolish self-

that funny. You don’t need them, you are better off without them, and you should stop them.

ON THE NEXT 6O PAGES ARE THE FACES OF STUDENTS AND STAFFS OF THE EVERGREEN CAMPUS...

. . .With a few interesting triVia about each of them, some are unique to them, some are unexpected, some could not be farther from the stereotypes that these people were assigned to.

All of them are proofs that stereotypes are invalid and that stereotyping is not a practical way to look at people.

Julio S.Wants to be in computer engineering when he

grows up. Obsessed with Pokemon.

Thuy D.Does NOT like to study or read. Eats all the time. Very loud when around people she knows.

Jennifer L.Is a neat freak. Speaks Vietnamese. Loves children.

Stacey F.Has no kids. Likes ethnic food and Glee.

Dong K.Is a Cambodian, who speaks Vietnamese. Teaches martial art. Likes screamo music.

Jasmine H.Strongest subject is English. Snarky, witty, provocative sense of humor. Also, she’s not underweight.

Michelle G.Obsessed with sushi. Scared of glitters.

Mollica S.Used to be addicted to video games. Likes to sing. Secretly wants a tattoo, but too scared to get one.

Zaza B.Is a twin. Asian, but favorite subject is lunch.

Plays basketball (“How many Champa girls do you see playing basketball? One, that’s me.”)

Magdalena W.plumbing for fun. Has bestfriends who are black. Listens to alternative music.

Thomas H.Is a great cook. Likes camping and hunting. Played gymnastic.

Lena G.Excellent sense of direction. Anti-Valentine’s Day: “People celebrate it for the wrong reasons.” Been taking care of little siblings ever since she was eight.

Brian Q.Favorite actor is Denzel Washington.

Was 5 feet all at 8th grade. Very clumsy and uncoordinated unless he’s playing tennis.

Michelle C.Is part Spanish. Can’t use chopsticks.

Likes rap music and working out every night.

Amy BaileyKnows American Sign Language.

Was allergic to m&m’s.

Maria P.knowledge test. Very atheletic, plays sports all year round.

Sana N.Likes to listen to rap music. Wanted to be a secret agent until she was 10. Speaks Croatian, Bosnian, Russian, English, and a little bit of German.

Jeffery L.Swing dances. Studied to be a minister.

Watches Glee with his wife.

Andre M.Part Hawaiian, but can’t sing. Straight A’s student. Doesn’t play basketball.

Liz S.Dropped out of high school. Used to in a

band for 12 years, played at Folklife Fest and was the open band for Art Garfunkel. Gave up music to become a teacher.

Joanne G.Is a trophied car racer, a builder and a political activist. She renovated an entire bathroom on her own and campaigned for Sen. Patty Murray.

Daniel N.Tall as a tree, sucks at basketball.

Speaks Turkish. Cries during movies.

Genevieve F.Likes playing chess. Wanted to be an astronaut as a kid. Was a trained ballerina.

Charlene Q.Started working in a restaurant at age 12.

Obsessed with Macaroons and the band OneRepublic.

Johnny L.“I’m Asian but I hate tennis.” Goes to Sunday School, but doesn’t believe in religion. Is an aspiring rapper (he’s dope! go check him out at youtube.com/JTLresces).

Aaron G.Plays the clarinet. Likes to bake. Still reads physical newspaper every morning. Threw

Was Prom King.

Jennifer F.Is a dare devil, will go on scary rides as many times as possible. Was a professional dancer through-out college. Has eaten guinea pigs.

Jasmine W.4.0 GPA. Crochets. Wrestles.

Riley K.Is an Asian stuck in a White person’s body.

Has chickens in his backyard.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE BOTTOM LINE IS...

Everybody is different and unique in their own way. You will never know for sure how someone is like until you actually take the time to get to know them.

In order for our society to progress, you must make that conscious choice to move pass your instinc-tive way of labeling people around you, and start seeing them for what they really are, individuals.

You are better than those stereotypes, all of you.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you to those who shared their interesting stories with me. You all are wonderful human beings. I’m lucky I get to know all of you.

about stereotypes and their effects on our

Stereotype Hurts’ by Leslie C. Aguilar and the

by Jonah Lehrer (links below.) So thanks to them too.

And last but not least, I would like thank Ms. Fry for the mental support she gave me all through my time at HS3 and the process of making this book.

Links to references:

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