Klarinet Archive - Posting 000413.txt from 2002/12

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <patricia@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] OT: Stereotypes - a partial explanation for P. Wagner; was, Reed
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 18:16:53 -0500

P. Wagner (E-Mail) wrote:
>
>
> Why is this a stereotype?
> Lips contains muscles. Or not?
> Is it false, that men with roots in Africa has on an average more muscles
> than men with white skin?
>

It is basically considered an impolite, derogatory stereotype in
American society, because, in our past, the popular media, as well as
other aspects of our culture, was dominated by whites, who utilized this
stereoptype in the following way: those who portrayed racial
characteristics of peoples who were different from whites portrayed them
in such a way that they tended to exaggerate the facial and other
physical features of peoples in a way that was demeaning and mocking to
those cultural minorities.

In a number of other countries, the national identity is predicated in
no small part upon racial identity, and the great majority of their
citizens are of the majority culture, and have no problems with
stereotypes because 1) they do not possess the above negative
connotation, and 2) the stereotypes in question are of the MAJORITY
culture, and are part of the national identity, and thus have a positive
connotation.

However, in a country that is predicated upon such rich cultural and
racial diversity as the United States, racial, cultural and social
diversity is the norm. We are a country of a rapidly changing
population landscape - we cannot truly say that whites are an
overwhelming majority, though they once were. Even then, not all of the
whites were from the same cultural and social background, and
furthermore, were not the first peoples of the Americas to begin with.
That said, in today's society in the U.S., stereotypes are EASILY
perverted into the means for one group - any group - to castigate and
abuse another group. That is why, at least from my vantage point, U.S
peoples, black, white and others, find this sort of description you are
talking about distasteful, to say the least. They prevent us from
learning the truth about each other, and furthering our understanding.

I hope my explanation was helpful to you. U.S. society can be puzzling
at the best of times. Our media doesn't do a great deal to help, IMO.

Patricia A. Smith

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