Rocio C.

Lewis

English 101

Mr. Thomas

September 15, 2010

Stereotypes

Three years ago I moved to the United States from Chile, a small country in South

America. It was very shocking at first. People immediately formed opinions about

me without even talking to me. I felt alone and left behind. I realized that

stereotypes are strongly entrenched in this society. Stereotypes make us more

ignorant, hurt’s people’s feelings, and limits friendships.

Ignorance is the main cause of stereotyping. In this society we would rather

put everybody from the same place, race, religion, economic status, or whatever

into one basket. We should take advantage of the opportunity we have to belong to

this beautiful and diverse country. We have the chance to share with people from

all walks of life that we wouldn’t know otherwise. We can enrich our own lives if we

don’t typecast people. When we have an open mind, we can relate to and

appreciate other cultures and people. We can increase our understanding and

knowledge of the world around us.

Having been on the receiving end of being stereotyped, I know firsthand the

emotional damage it causes. When people realize I am a minority, they think I can’t

understand them. It’s frustrating when people start talking to me in a loud slow

voice and over pronunciate their words. I’m ESL not deaf. People have told me that

I would never go to college, that since I’m from a third world country (false

statement) I should be happy with a minimum wage career, or that I’m uneducated
because I have an accent. It hurts my feelings when people judge me without ever

getting to know me. The only thing they prove is how ignorant and inconsiderate

they are.

The biggest damage stereotyping causes is the loss of friendships. In Chile I

had several friends in high school. We cared about each other and wanted to learn

from one another. Since I have been in the United States my friendships have been

limited. People like when others know they are different and still want to get to

know them. I have had friends from Vietnam that have enriched my life in

numerous ways. Through that friendship I learned more about Vietnam’s culture,

cuisine, and history than any textbook could have taught me.

Stereotypes are harmful in so many ways that we do not understand. If we

don’t stereotype we are able to become better human beings. If we open our minds

and not judge people, we will become less ignorant, kind to people’s feelings, and

create numerous friendships. We can start appreciating people for who they are

and learn from them. I hope our society can realize the danger of stereotyping and

move forward to a better tomorrow.