Stereotypes
Before the in class conversation, I felt as though stereotypes were evident but did not affect me personally. Growing up as a 3rd generation Indian American, I adapted a more Americanized persona. This often confused the white people around me, asking if I’m Brazilian, Puerto Rican, African and many more, but they never guessed Indian. I’ve received the comment that I am quite “white” for an Indian several times before. But I will never understand this comment and what it actually means. I can’t help but feel offended, just because I’m more americanized than other Indians does not make me “white”. I will never be white. I will never want to be white. After the in class conversation, I came to the realization that there is no single stereotype that fits everyone in the category. The media today doesn’t seem to understand this reality, often displaying indians as being the unpopular, nerd who makes a fool of themselves. A stereotype that is often deemed untrue. For me personally, I’m judged by both sides of the spectrum, F.O.B.’s and white americans. I’ll never fit under a specific stereotype because there’s no stereotype out there made for people like me. Which makes sense because there’s not a single person in this world who completely matches the stereotype they are labeled with. Just because I don’t compete for the highest gpa, have a thick accent, or constantly smell like curry does not mean I’m disconnected with my own ethnicity. It means that I have had a different upbringing than the F.O.B. stereotype placed on Indians. Stereotypes are a false prejudice belief fueled by everyday media and carried out by everyday people.
