Stereotypes

Discrimination and prejudice have always been evident in American society. From the practice of slavery in colonial times to the internment of 110,000 Japanese in 1942, stereotypes have always existed for about nearly every group, race and gender. While some stereotypes, like “all Asians are smart” are light and do not carry heavy negativity, others like “all Muslims are terrorist” or “all Hispanics are illegal immigrants” spur intense rancor in society.  When Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941, rampant discrimination against the Japanese permeated throughout American society. Similarly, a 2005 poll conducted by Pew Research presents that about a quarter of Americans hold negative views about Muslims living in the United States.


The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), an American Muslim civil rights organization, released a report on anti-Muslim incidents in 2005, which presented that between 2003 and 2004, hate crimes against Muslims rose by more than 50%. The largest numbers of hate crimes were in California, while 7% of the crimes were in Virginia.
Hate crimes against Muslim women, in particular, are common, as many incidents of hijabs, or headscarves, being snatched off the heads of women have been reported.


Senior Nudrat Siddiqui wears a niqab, which is the full veil concealing the entire body except the eyes. In her first year at a public school, she has not encountered any brutal discrimination. Still, she has been called a “terrorist” in the hallways. Outside of school, Siddiqui is often a victim of prejudice. At Disney Land three years ago while standing in line, Siddiqui overheard a child asking her mother why she [Nudrat] was fully covered.


“She [the mother] responded,  ‘Oh, she’s a terrorist. They all dress like that,’ ” said Siddiqui. Although Siddiqui’s reaction was not one of anger, she feels dismay at how Muslims are viewed in this post 9/11 world.


“After 9/11, many Americans just judge Muslims based on one group of people. You can’t say everyone would do the same thing as the actions of only one group you may know,” said Siddiqui. She continues, “It’s like the saying, “Don’t judge a book by the cover.” At AHS, teachers have stereotyped Siddiqui and junior Karima El-Khatib.  Recently, a student overheard a teacher speaking about Siddiqui’s dressing. A student overheard the teacher that Siddiqui should take her niqab off because she might be carrying a bomb.
El-Khatib faced prejudice when she went to her friend’s class with a pass from her own teacher, the teacher became skeptical of her pass. The teacher jokingly said, ‘ “How do I know who she is? She might be a terrorist, ’ ” recounted El-Khatib.


The whole class broke out into laughter. El-Khatib, taken aback by the comment, concealed her emotions. “I was just shocked. I didn’t know what to say, so I just laughed along with the class,” said El-Khatib. When confronted with situations where a student is a victim of prejudice, Student Director Steven Sengstack said that similar procedures as those taken in scenarios of harassment should be taken.


“If there are comments being made about stereotypes, the student should go to a trusted adult who would investigate the situation and hopefully it wouldn’t happen again. If it does, then that’s where the administration would intervene,” said Sengstak. He continued, “The most important thing to know is that you should never keep it to yourself. Report it to someone to help you get through.” English teacher Augustine Twyman, an African American, shares her perspective on the teacher’s comments.
“Personally, I know what it’s like to be discriminated. Blacks are discriminated to this day and I think it’s a heinous act, but I do believe that there is an intrinsic part of us that says, “Be careful,” when we see something different,” said Twyman.


Recently, in the realm of politics, there has been uproar over Democratic Presidential nominee’s Barrack Obama’s middle name “Hussein.” Many have scoffed at Obama’s background and the idea that his middle name sounds like a Middle Eastern dictator. Junior Mahboo Haidari [pictured above] views this as absurd. 


“The slanders against him emphasize that he’s Muslim, even though he is Christian. But then again, what if he was? Is something wrong about being Muslim? Just because his name coincides with Saddam Hussein’s doesn’t make him unfit for the presidency,” said Haidari.


Along with Muslims, Hispanics today also struggle with the stabs of stereotypes. For many students, the labels that have been associated with their race serve as motivation to inspire them to dispel those judgments.


Senior Michelle Abanez, a Hispanic, struggles with popular stereotypes regarding Hispanics.  “As a teenage Hispanic, many people automatically assume that I’m pregnant or going to get pregnant and drop out of school. But you know I have dreams. I have my own goals to meet,” said Abanez.


For Abanez, joining the Hispanic Leadership allowed her to realize that it is possible to overcome stereotypes. “It really opened up my eyes because we’ve met so many Hispanic leaders in our community who have fought stereotypes—doctors, lawyers. By meeting those people, I know that I too can rise above these judgments,” said Abanez.
Where do stereotypes stem from? Psychology teacher Justin Hambrick believes that the media often develops stereotypes.


“There are two arguments to this: There are studies that show that the media reflects the stereotypes, while there are other studies that show that media creates the stereotypes,” said Hambrick. He continued, “Personally, I tend to think that the media influences more of society. But I also acknowledge that this is a personal opinion,” said Hambrick.
Senior Nathalie Cladera says that the media has developed perpetual stereotypes about Hispanics that hinder Hispanic teenagers from living up to their potentials.  “Media has already put a label on all Hispanics—illegal immigrants or criminals. I think that’s why most Hispanic students just give up. They’re just like ‘Why even try,’ “ said Cladera.
When huge catastrophes, such as the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or the Pearl Harbor occur, the media, history teacher John Nemeth believes, plays a significant role.


“What happens is that people, in general, are ignorant against other people’s cultures. When you have a highly emotional event occur, like 9/11, it accentuates their ignorance,” said Nemeth.
So how can one ensure to not fall prey to stereotyping others? According to Spencer A. Rathus, author of Psychology; Principals in Practice, by contacting and interacting with different groups of people, attempting to correct other people’s prejudice attitudes and setting an example for others are ways to stop prejudice in society. By looking at people as individuals, not by race, gender or religious affiliation, it is possible to break free from acting on stereotypes. 


For Twyman, stereotypes can be overcome. “It’s being civilized and educated that we learn to distinguish between the things that are different and the things that are harmful,” said Twyman.