March
13
Response to Socratic Seminar
Respond to either “Just Walk on By” or “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority”. In both essays, stereotyping affected how the subjects were treated within society. Explain how you believe this stereotyping occurs and why do you think it matters to ALL of us. Does it make a difference? Why?
In response to “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority”, Takaki shows us the skewed as opposed to the realistic viewpoint of Asian Americans. In the essay, he states: “Engineers, teachers, or administrators while in Korea, they became shopkeepers after their arrival.” As an Asian American myself, I thought most Koreans who immigrated to the United States had high reputation jobs. After reading this essay, I’m completely shocked that I’m trapped stereotyping my own race with a fixed “model minority” image.
I believe that this stereotyping occurs when society puts a label on people based on their skin color. Because we identify people by their skin color, this affects all of us. For example, when we identify that person as a “black” or “white” person, we already stereotyped that person. Why don’t we just say that person is African American or Caucasian? Whenever we bring color into the formula, we bring in their culture and facial structure. Common throughout media in the 1800s-1980s, we see toothpick eyes that are depicted in Asian Americans. Today, many people are misinformed that dark skinned people are terrorists. We need to make a difference today by stopping those who label people based on their skin color by not associating the color to skin. Literature, media, and instructors need to take action as a collective group to stop; otherwise, some people will mistakenly stereotype.
In the essay “The Harmful Myth of Asian Superiority” stereotyping affected how different groups of people were treated within society. Which stereotype occurs when others organize thoughts by structuring and grouping ideas and usually based on age, race and religion, and social media is the largest affect of stereotype, just like Asian American groups were considered “excessively, even provocatively successful” in the media. Stereotypes are a big problem in our society. It puts labels about how people should act or live, even their own thoughts. This could affect individuals who perhaps like different things or do different activities, but feel ashamed of doing so because of stereotypes. And stereotype do make difference depends on it could causes prejudgment eventually.
In the essay “Just Walk on By”, the author starts off with a sarcastic statements of him being a criminal, as he stated “My first victim was a woman—white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties” While Brent was walking by the park at night, he was already labels as a criminal by his skin color. Stereotyping can be dangerous and crucial to each individual in the society, many were treated differently because of these stereotype, and many are more cautious in public because of they might get kill by stereotype. But in reality everyone is bias, and stereotyped, but the media plays a big part manipulating us, giving us different point of view on certain problem, and strength our stereotype on others. If everyone treat this as a serious problem, perhaps we can we unify as one, and fight off the oppression.
Based on the essays that I read, spoke strongly on how we live in a society that people are quick to judge a person by the color of someone’s skin, but also on the type of clothing they have on. I believe that stereotyping misleads of giving false information on labeling people the wrong way, it’s sad to hear to know that we live in a world of unjust and no equal rights. The media now broadcasts the ugly truth on how that we live in a world where the president only see’s the world in black and white, he’s quick to judge groups of people of color based on criminal acts and where the group of people once live. If he took the time to understand and to talk to the group of people who he is judging maybe he will have a different way of thinking of them. We as a community has to come together and realize that the only thing we all have in common is our humanity. Humanity keeps us alive, to keep us humble and not to judge a book by its cover.
In the essay “Just Walk on By” stereotyping affected how individuals were treated within society. I believe that stereotyping occurs because of the events that occur most often which makes us form opinions about others. Media plays a big part of stereotyping also because it shows how crimes are committed by certain races which makes us believe that it’s a fact and we tend to judge others. Stereotypes matters to us because it not only makes us unsafe, it makes us feel isolated from others where we don’t feel equal to the ones around us. Being in a position where we are judged could create hardships for us on a daily basis where we don’t feel equal amongst others. It makes a huge difference if stereotypes matter because without stereotype everyone would be surrounded in a community where we get together as one and not being racist or prejudice.