Racial stereotyping to a large degree is based on negative labelling of one-person’s race by another person from a different race. People concentrate and view the negative traits, mannerisms, and behaviors while overlooking their positive aspects. It is a case of being guilty until proven innocent. The result is a one-dimensional view that magnifies the negative traits resulting to narrow thinking and skewed experience on the part of those who are involved.

The negative labelling of minorities is often attributed to a number of root causes; some of which are acquired from the society or through experiences.

List of causes that are attribute to racial stereotyping include:

• Trauma
• Environment and society one grows up in
• Narrow mindedness

Trauma

Trauma is a major cause leading to stereotypical thinking. Someone who has been a victim or has gone through a negative experience perpetrated by a certain race or ethnicity may harbor distorted views on all women or all men. For example when someone is raped or mugged by a person from the African-American community, they would form a negative opinion towards all the people from the community (Johns et al 175-179).

Brent Staples (1986)in his essay Just Walk By, tells us about a white woman who was walking ahead of him in a deserted alley in Hyde Park on one evening. The white woman upon catching a glimpse of him picked up her pace, which later broke into full flight. In her mind, he was a potential mugger or rapist that she had to flee from (383). Amy Tan conquers with Staples when she points out that people who possess little command of the English language are not given quality services or taken seriously. Furthermore, people normally have limited perception of persons who have not mastered the English language (398-399). The boy who took Ortic out on her first dance gave her a sloppy kiss devoid of any passion, expected her to respond with a passion of a grown mature woman (Ortic 94).

Environment

The environment one is brought up has a direct bearing on how they grow to be as adults. The persons are shielded from things that are happening outside of the area they grow up in (Marx and Roman 1183-1193).

Staples were brought up in Chester, Pennsylvania an industrial town where burglary, murders and gang fare was the norm rather an exception. He did not face any discrimination: you were either good or bad. However, moving away from Chester’s rough environment to the other urban areas like Chicago, he experienced stereotyping when people turned away from him on the streets and locked there car doors when he is crossing the road at the traffic lights (384-385). Ortic points out the culture clash when the clothes they put on to their catholic school’s ‘Career Day’ were described by the nuns to be hopeless and vulgar (92-93). According to Ortic’s Latina culture, a senorita was to dress like a mature woman, which celebrated her female features. This however was distasteful among the American culture. Tan argues that due to her culturalbackground as an Asian American, she finds it hard to pass her English achievement tests. She however does not find difficulty in mathematics and science. A fact that she is questioned about by her audience as to why Asian American have a high preference for science based programs over creative writing programs (400-401).

Narrow mindedness and fear of differences

Stereotyping may find roots in fear experienced when a person encounters someone who at first glance appear to be different from themselves. This fear and narrow mindedness is directly related to insecurity over a social or economic status (Spencer et al 4-15).

Staples when working for a local paper in Chicago went inside a jewelry store to kill time when waiting for an interview. However, the owner upon seeing him went and got her dog a Doberman pinscher. This was an action to intimidate Staples into getting away from her premises. Although Staples was able to afford the jewelry that was on offer he left there with his head help up high (385). Tan’s mother had given her stockbroker the order to sell her stock portfolio. However, the stockbroker took long in crediting her account by depositing the money in her account. It was due to the narrow mindedness of the stockbroker looking down on his client. Tan’s mother only relief came when she went to the head office in New York where together with Tan she got her money (398-399). Ortic also points out the media coverage which has made the American public to have misconceptions about the Latinas. The media portray them as domestics and criminals. Due to this, when she was going for her poem reading in the floating restaurant in Miami, an aged lady confused her to be one of the waitresses.

Conclusion

It is not right for people to harbor stereotypical thinking. It brings about animosity and hampers relationship between the peaceful co-existence and relationship between. The negative labelling of minorities is often attributed to a number of root causes; some of which are acquired from the society or through experiences.

Works Cited

Johns, M., Schmader, T., & Martens, A. Knowing is half the battle: Teaching stereotype threat     as ameans of improving women’s math performance. Psychological Science. (2005): 16, 175–179.

Marx, D. M., & Roman, J. S. Female role models: Protecting women’s math test performance.                   Personality   and Social Psychology Bulletin. . (2002):  28, 1183–1193.

Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. Stereotype threat and women’s math performance.   Journal Of Experimental Social Psychology. (1999):35, 4–15.

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