Category: Stereotypes

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a phenomenal graphic novel addressing self-acceptance, racist stereotyping, and identity. Not to mention, Gene Luen Yang blew my socks off with a brilliant intertwining of three rather unconnectable storylines.

Gene Luen Yang tackles the negative stereotypes of a Chinese- American head-on, illustrating Chin-Kee to possesses the physical stereotypical qualities of a Chinese person. Including small eyes, two large teeth, and yellow skin. In addition to these, he carries non-mannered and uncivilized qualities that have historically described to Chinese people. Along with speaking broken English and mixing up his Rs and Ls sounds. Jin wang is an insecure Chinese-American teenager battling an identity crisis that is reinforced by the stereotypes. The desire to fit in, and the urge to eradicate traces of heritage.

Not only does it take part in Jin’s story but it plays a tremendous part in the theme of Monkey King’s story as well. He is rejected by others because of his appearance. No matter how much more qualify he is than others, he still ends up being rejected. Although after five hundred years of living under a pile of rocks, he learns to accept and recognize his true identity.

The form of the story truly is one of a kind with three diverse stories leading to one huge climatic events. The author illustrates the story of Jin Wang, who happens to be the only Chinese-American at his new school, the tale of Chin-Kee and cousin Danny, a white boy embarrassed by his cousin Chin-Kee and the legend of the Monkey King. Now how exactly does Gene Luen Yang combine all these together? We discover that Dannys’ true form is Jin and is the figure who Jin longings to be. On the other hand, Chin-Kee happens to be the Monkey King and teaches Jin self-acceptance through the learning of his own mistakes. Mind-blowing am I right!!

In conclusion, I would give this book a 4/5 as I felt that the ending was awfully rushed. Other than that I enjoy and had a fun time reading this entertaining graphic novel. It is perfect for readers who battle with maintain their self-identity and cultural while wanting to fit with their community. I recommend it to those who love a good humorous adventure story, with thoughtful and relatable stories. I had a hard time finding a book, movie or show to help you understand the genre and style of this book as I tend not to watch that many shows or movies. As for books, I can’t exactly think of any book that I have read towards this genre.

Introduction to Stereotyping and Prejudice in Maycomb

The chances of blacks going to jail are 32% while for whites, it is 6%. This injustice happens to this day and is showcased when an innocent black is accused of rape in To Kill a Mockingbird. However Arthur Radley also faces prejudice despite being white. Siblings Scout and Jem witness these problems in their town, Maycomb. Their father Atticus and others teach them morals that contradict usual ways. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Lee addresses how stereotyping produces the effect of prejudice which can be solved through educating others about showing empathy towards those who are different.

Fear and Stereotyping: The Case of Arthur Radley

Through imagery, one is able to see fear shape Maycomb’s citizens’ stereotypes of those different than themselves. Arthur Radley, an outcast in their society, is feared by the citizens and is therefore stereotyped for living in his own way. Jem describes characters with such descriptions like “Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time” (Lee 13). The vivid and detailed description that Jem gives is imagery and the fact that he refers to Arthur Radley as Boo, along with most of the town, emphasizes that everyone knows and thinks of him as a monster. Since he is an outsider, the townspeople are fearful of him and this leads to assumptions being relied on to know more about him. There is also a hint of irony in this quote because as it is stated, this description is described as reasonable. However, most people don’t know anything about him because they have never seen or interacted with him. Their fear leads to their rumors that they believe and spread. Just like Arthur Radley, another white man, Dolphus Raymond, faces stereotyping in his life. When Raymond meets the children he tells them, “‘I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does’” (Lee 200). The imagery describes Raymond’s actions and his sack. Raymond is actually drinking cola rather than whiskey. People believe he is an alcoholic and use stereotypes to assume this. Raymond does not tell them otherwise because the townspeoples’ fear and assumptions of him blind them from the truth. They rely on their unchanging ways of stereotyping and refuse to step into his skin while Dolphus Raymond steps into theirs. Therefore, Maycomb’s fear molds their assumptions and stereotypes that further affect those who are different.

Hypocrisy and Irony: The Adults of Maycomb

The effect of prejudice is demonstrated through ironic morals incorporated into the hypocritical adults of Maycomb. Many of the citizens don’t think of their own beliefs and morals before contradicting them. Like the others, Aunt Alexandra demonstrates this when Atticus said she had a “preoccupation with heredity. Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer he was” (Lee 130). Meanwhile, Aunt Alexandra and the Finch family have not lived in Maycomb for long compared to many citizens of the town, making this belief ironic. She hypocritically thinks of herself as higher while she believes that good people have lived in one place for generations, yet she just relocated to Maycomb. She has also judged citizens who have been living in one place for a long time. According to this statement, Alexandra has only one standard for what makes a good person. This hypocrisy stretches from home life to academic environments. Scout’s school teacher, Ms. Gates, expresses how she views prejudice by saying, “‘Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Prejudice,’ she enunciated carefully. ‘There are no better people in the world than the Jews, and why Hitler doesn’t think so is a mystery to me’” (Lee 245). This ironic claim is contradicting herself by claiming that individuals who are racist towards Jews are prejudiced, yet she herself is prejudiced and racist. Previously, Ms. Gates mentions that black people should know their place in Maycomb. Ms. Gates’ hypocrisy is demonstrated when she tells students that Jew-haters are prejudiced. She does not realize how she thinks of black people in her own community and her own daily life. This way of thinking is still present in modern day and Ms. Gates is a representation of all people who believe prejudice only apply to certain groups. In this case, Ms. Gates believes Jews should be treated with equality while blacks should not. Ms. Gates is not the only person who is like this in the novel. The First Purchase was the church that was the first thing that was purchased by former slaves in the past. However, now in that building, “Negroes worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays” (Lee 118). This is ironic because worshipping is a higher thing than gambling. In Maycomb’s society, whites are above blacks in all ways. White men are sinning in black peoples’ holy place. Due to white men engaging in this activity, citizens accept this. People who are socially higher and supposedly better are practicing a lower thing while people who are socially lower are practicing a holy and sacred thing. Therefore, hypocrisy is seen when prejudiced citizens display their ironic morals in everyday life.

Empathy and Education: Solutions to Prejudice

Individuals educating others about empathy is shown through aphorism to propose solutions to the problems in Maycomb. Adults with good morals teaching others about understanding those who are different results in problems being solved in the community and in the future. Individuals such as Miss Maudie demonstrate this when she tried to teach Scout and Jem, “‘People in their right minds never take pride in their talents’” (Lee 98). The aphorism is shown through Miss Maudie teaching the children that one not taking pride in their talents and skills shows how one shouldn’t entertain themselves at another’s expense. Miss Maudie is trying to teach the children that they should empathize with others and this should prevent them from showing off their skills. One’s morals shouldn’t allow them to hurt others to entertain themselves. Atticus puts his prey above himself and he wants for his children to learn this and apply it to their lives. This could be applied not only in hunting, but in scenarios similar to when Scout beat up Walter Cunningham. While Scout was not especially gifted with the power of her fists, she took advantage of how powerless Walter was in the situation. Miss Maudie is trying to teach her to reverse that and to be like Atticus because he considers his prey’s well-being over his enjoyment. Miss Maudie and Atticus are figures that teach the children correct morals. When Atticus gives guns to Jem and Scout, he says “‘I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Lee 90). The mockingbird represents innocence because it sings for the pleasure of others. This is just like Arthur Radley, who has only gifted trinkets to Jem and Scout. Tom Robinson is also a figure that is representative of cases like the Scottsboro boys, people falsely accused of a crime. The mockingbird is often hard to spot, like how Arthur Radley is hidden yet is content when the children are happy. Despite being hidden, the mockingbird sings for the pleasure of others and in turn is happy when others are happy. Atticus is teaching Jem and Scout that it is a sin to kill or harm innocence. The innocence has done nothing wrong and they have to understand that. Scout also mentions how this is the only thing that he has said is a sin to do. This emphasizes how severe this situation is because he wants his children to learn how to understand the mockingbird. This is one of many situations where Atticus teaches his children an important life lesson. Atticus tells Scout “‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person …’ ‘-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (Lee 30). Aphorism is seen through Atticus describing this lesson to Scout that people need to understand the struggles of others instead of making assumptions. By stepping into another’s skin, one can empathize with their internal problems as well. Rather than the common saying using shoes, Lee utilizes skin to emphasize that all struggle with conflicts that are hidden below the surface. By walking around in someone’s skin, it allows one to feel how one copes throughout each day and the conflicts inside and out. One can change out their shoes but one cannot change out their skin. Consequently, understanding can be achieved through education from others in order to solve problems.

Conclusion: Overcoming Stereotyping and Prejudice

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee presents how stereotyping causes prejudice which can be solved through education and empathy. This is like the Scottsboro case when nine black males were falsely accused of raping two white women. Ranging from ages 12-19, eight were convicted. After six years in prison, four were released and the rest were released on parole in 1946. This case’s verdict would have been prevented if the all white jury understood how their prejudiced decision would affect the boys’ lives. This lack of education and empathy applies to the real world and in the novel.

Works Cited

1. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Scottsboro Case.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 Aug. 2019, www.britannica.com/event/Scottsboro-case.
2. Chastain, Chloe. “To Kill a Mockingbird Connections.” Prezi.com, 7 Apr. 2015, prezi.com/bxulh0xy7-ke/to-kill-a-mockingbird-connections/.

Societal prejudice and discrimination is often the result of conformity to social norms and teachings. Normative pressures to have prejudiced beliefs towards the race, sexual orientation, and social status of individuals often result from the acceptance of these prejudices in society. This often results in a mold that society expects the minority population to conform to and discourages them from reaching their highest potential in life. Only those who realize that society’s expectations in regards to one’s background do not determine their future, are capable of breaking the stigma and becoming successful.

When there are societal stereotypes about a person, people tend to treat the person according to those expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to the stereotypic expectations, thus confirming stereotypic beliefs. This can be demonstrated in Dorothy Allison’s personal essay, “A Question of Class,” when Dorothy compares the attitude of Greenville’s residents towards the lower class to that of Central Florida’s, stating that: “in Greenville, everyone knew [her] family, knew [they] were trash, and that meant [they] were supposed to be poor, supposed to have grim low paid jobs, have babies in [their] teens, and never finish school” (Allison 43). However, she explains that “because [Central Florida] did not see poverty and hopelessness as a foregone conclusion for [her] life, [she] could begin to imagine other futures for [herself].” Regardless of the assumptions about her future solely based on her family, Allison put in years of effort and hard work to become a successful writer and lesbian feminist. She uses her story to inspire others and proves the significance of disregarding prejudice to reach success.

As long as one remains focused on their goals and perseveres, societal expectations cannot stop them from becoming a reality. This is illustrated by Frederick Douglass’ dedication to become literate in his memoir, Learning to Read and Write. Although being literate was illegal for slaves at the time, Frederick Douglass still managed to learn the skills by outsmarting society and taking advantage of the resources he had. For instance, he states that he “made friends of all the little white boys whom [he] met in the street… with their kindly aid, obtained at different times and different places, [he] finally succeeded in learning to read” (Douglass 107). This demonstrates how Douglass managed to pass the barriers that limited his education and learned regardless of the discrimination set against his race and heritage. Douglass could have simply given up learning when his mistress “ceased to instruct him… and commenced to practice her husband’s precepts” to prevent his literacy; however Douglass’ dedication to keep fighting for his education exceeded her efforts. His perseverance paid off “after a long, tedious effort [of] years” when he finally mastered reading and writing (Douglas 111). He eventually became a nationally recognized author for his memoirs depicting the struggles of slaves in the 1880s, proving that one’s commitment to reach their goal needs to exceed societal expectations to become a reality.

One must change their mindset to rise above societal standards and succeed in life. This claim is demonstrated exceptionally well in the story of Superman & Me by Sherman Alexie. In Superman & Me, Alexie writes about the societal stereotype that labels people with Native American heritage as less intellectual than other Americans. Alexie writes, “If he’d been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy” (36). By indicating that his race alone prevents him from being called a “prodigy,” he conveys the severity of the stigma surrounding his identity because individuals with a more privileged background would readily be praised with that title if they had the talent and skill set he possessed. Although Alexie was aware of the low standard society had set for his race, he “refused to fail” and accept it (36). He spent his days reading any piece of literature he could get his hands on and over time proved society wrong by reading better than his classmates. Alexie’s mindset to break the stigma around his race distinguished him from the other Indian children who conformed to the societal norm without question. As a result of this mindset and dedication, he eventually became a famous author who is driven to inspire younger Native American children to break the stigma around their heritage and master the skill of reading as he did.

Societal norms are very powerful and can often influence individuals to fit certain stereotypes; however, one must differentiate them from reality to reach success. James Baldwin passionately demonstrates this in his essay, Notes of a Native Son, by describing the social implications that came with being an African American male in the 1940s. After his father’s passing, he wrote that “[he] had time to become aware of the meaning of all [his] father’s bitter warnings” and “discovered the weight of white people in the world” (Baldwin 68). However, Baldwin did not allow this inequality to weigh him down, stating that “one must never, in one’s own life, accept these injustices as commonplace but must fight them with all one’s strength” (Baldwin 77). In this claim, Baldwin eloquently conveys his message that it is unjust for African Americans to accept segregation, regardless of the societal norm it was at the time. Although Baldwin had the opportunity to convey his message violently through expressing his anger and fighting back against segregation, he soon realized that the best way to influence society’s ways was to become an author. To this day, people regard Baldwin’s work as a successful reflection of the struggles African Americans faced during the cruel and difficult times post Emancipation Proclamation. If Baldwin had attempted to advocate violently for his beliefs, as society expected of African Americans at the time, he would not have made the impact he has made today.

Finally, it is important to peacefully stand up for yourself in a society that labels you as inferior. Maya Angelou expresses this claim in her selection,“What’s Your Name, Girl?” by fighting against prejudice in her own way. In this story, Angelou writes about a particular experience she had that demonstrated the racism she faced from her kind-hearted mistress that confined to the societal norm against African Americams. By using her wit to peacefully protest, Maya was able to make her mistress feel guilty about her actions and change her ways. This is demonstrated when her mistress exclaims “Her name’s Margaret, goddammit, her name’s Margaret!” and calls Margaret by her real name for the first time after she cleverly broke the Virginia dishes (Angelou 60). Although Margaret could have followed the example set by Miss Glory, who accepted being called a different name by her mistress, she decided not to tolerate this disrespectful behavior and succeeded in stirring change in society in her own way. This is proves that one can influence others to stop abiding to societal norms by protesting peacefully and that small victories go a long way in making an impact on people’s perspectives.

The key to success for people stigmatized by society’s stereotypes is to disregard them completely. As proven by the claims of James Baldwin, Dorothy Allison, Frederick Douglas and other authors analyzed in this essay, individuals who do not allow societal norms to hold them back from reaching their goals are capable of making them a reality. Without this knowledge, individuals will hopelessly believe and mold into these stereotypes.

There are many types of factors that currently affect how people are treated in the workforce such as religion, gender, and race. The ongoing effects of inequality in the workplace are shown in many ways. Gender discrimination exists in some companies as there are companies that do not employ women, and as a result, women have fewer job opportunities. In addition, age discrimination exists in other companies resulting in young people not being able to find jobs after they graduate from university, or achieve the qualifications needed as some companies think that young people’s lack of experience would not benefit them. Racial discrimination also plays a large role within companies, some may choose to not employ a candidate due to their race, or decide to not give them a higher role due to racial stereotypes. In a progressing society, as humans we are not fully equal in the workforce, ensuring that we are equal does not limit us to what we can achieve in life. In this essay I will be exploring and discussing feminism and racism, I will be comparing them and linking the topics to each other.

Racism has been defined as “the belief that race is the main determinant of human capabilities, that a certain race is better than others, and that individuals should be treated differently according to their racial designation.” Racial discrimination occurs in the workplace amongst members of staff as well as between higher positions and within the hiring part of a job. Many people have lost out on jobs purely due to the color of their skin. A white person is more likely to get hired than a black person based on appearance alone. In the world we live in today countries have become more racially diverse and everyone is able to access the same education, meaning that companies should hire a diverse range of employees as opposed to a predominately white male environment. Although many minorities made great steps in working in the top sectors, today there is still a very low percentage of minorities in comparison to white Americans in corporate America. For example, over 81 percent of lawyers in America are white.

Women represent over 40 percent of the global workforce and recently women have achieved the highest levels of education in history. However, the ratio of women in managerial positions does not correspond with the changing figures. Women hold less powerful corporate titles, fewer directorships, and earn considerably less than men. A reason for the percentage of women in higher roles being significantly different is due to the gender stereotypes that are still explicit in our society today. Although it is assumed that gender stereotypes target only women, they are just as many stereotypes geared toward men, the issue is that for the most part, they are in favor of men. In 2000 10 percent more women graduated from university, yet over 20 percent more men were employed. Gender stereotypes in the workplace stemmed from the assumption that women must stay at home to take care of the children, cook, and clean while men go to work and make money to support the family. Although dated, this idea is still prevalent in society today.

It is also evident that females when compared to males in the workplace, take more subservient roles, which is for many reasons. In Shelby, Sandbergs live seminar ‘why we have too many leaders’ she makes the point that in comparison to men, women are more likely to undermine themselves and their abilities which largely impacts them in the workforce. As well as this, the metaphor of the glass ceiling is one of the main arguments for inequality within the workplace. The glass ceiling is defined as “an unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, especially affecting women and members of minorities.” (As defined by the Oxford dictionary).they are multiple barriers that prevent women from becoming one of the top positions in workplaces. Working parents, especially mothers, usually have to deal with the family obligation they often have to choose between their job and family.

Both men and women legally have protection against gender discrimination in the hiring process or workplace, however, one issue in today’s job market is gender stereotypes in the workplace and hiring. In a double-blind study, conducted in 2008, science faculty members were asked to evaluate and pick a fictional student application who was randomly given a male or female name for a laboratory manager position, the applicant’s name was either John or Jennifer. Although both applicants had the same qualifications, and experience and their personal statements were nearly identical, the results from the study showed that the faculty members favored the male applicant and he received more votes for the role. This is a clear example of how women already have a large disadvantage before being given the chance to show what they are capable of. A reason why a woman is less likely to be hired is that women are expected to plan ahead for children, whereas men do not have any premeditated decisions to make before taking on a job. Having a woman means that they are more likely to take excessive amounts of time off due to family commitments.

Racism in the workplace still exists due to how implicitly it is done using micro-aggressions whereas gender inequality is more exposed for the world to see. Both inequalities are as important as each other and need to be fully overcome to ensure that we are equal. There were many studies that proved that gender and racial biases can affect how employers evaluate potential candidates’ applications, leading employers to favor white male applicants more over equally qualified women and people of color. The inflexibility of our society is one of the main reasons that not much progress has been made in order to combat the issues of gender and racial inequalities within a working environment, however, many efforts have been made to combat the inequality that is still faced. Today they are some workplaces that appraise, measure, and do changes to their company’s policies and procedures in order to try and attract women to work in a diverse workforce. To try and not have any more racial stereotypes, some companies in the hiring process choose to have telephone interviews so that their opinion of the candidates is purely on their qualifications as opposed to what they look like.

In writing this essay I wanted to express how even though as a society we have progressed to be more equal and fair, I wanted to show using research how much room we have left to grow. One day society should progress to the point where the color of a person’s skin does not immediately affect their chances of getting or job, or that they should not face discrimination at their place of work or education. Women should not be treated as a minority and the ‘weaker’ person instead they should be treated equally to men.

The Vikings were a group of people that came from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. They travelled, traded and explored western Europe from the 8th through to the 11th century. They were known for being fearless warriors, daring explorers and smart traders. But they were also known by some to be blood thirsty raiders who pillaged and killed innocent people from one country to another. This isn’t necessarily an accurate impression of them, and research conducted shows that they were a civilized society of farmers, advanced ship builders and tactical warriors who battled no more than any other society that lived in the Medieval Age.

Short (1999) explains that the Vikings lived in an honor-based society, which meant that feuds and duels were a normal part of life in an attempt to defend their name. They were always armed and ready for battle, irrespective of whether they were working on their farms or whether they were sleeping. Shying away from a battle was often seen as cowardly behavior. As such, all men had shields to protect themselves and carried at least one type of weapon, the most common of which was an axe or spear. As iron was very expensive, only the very wealthy Vikings owned a complete set of weapons and armor, which included a sword, sax, bow and arrows, spear, axe, shield, helmet and chainmail. The access to weapons aided their confidence when going into battle.

Although weapons played a central role in Viking society, they were by no means a military society. Instead, they were a society that focused on agriculture as they had to grow their own food. Farming proved to be difficult as the Scandinavian landscape and climate was far from ideal. The mountainous terrain and low temperatures made it extremely difficult to farm the land and crops often died in the extreme cold. With their families growing in numbers, the Vikings had to explore other options to feed their families. This led to them seeking better farmable land in neighboring countries. The Vikings were very status driven. According to Grabianowski (2008), wealth was a symbol of their status, and they desired livestock, coins, art and treasure, which they often acquired through trade. But, their travels to acquire more land combined with their greed for wealth and warrior like tendencies meant that they often found themselves in places and positions where they could take whatever they fancied. They were able to conduct many successful raids as they had the ability to travel between countries by sea.

The Vikings were expert ship builders and skilled navigators. The had very sophisticated ships, called longships, which were long, slender, light and fast. With both oars and sails, they could land anywhere on the seashore or travel inland on rivers. This meant that nobody could predict when and where they would conduct a raid. The Vikings were also great warriors who were trained in fighting techniques from a very young age. Failure to take part in a raid was often regarded as cowardly and seen as being weak so this meant that they never backed down from a raid. Viking raids were mostly successful as they always maintained the element of surprise.

It is important to remember that the Middle Ages in which the Vikings lived was extremely violent and brutal. According to Kaeuper (2001), “Medieval Europe was a rapidly developing society with a problem of violent disorder”. The Vikings were part and parcel of these times, so their violent tendencies were not unusual or uncommon in comparison to other societies that lived during these times. There was a constant battle for expansion and wealth amongst all societies, and pillaging and killing were merely means to an end.

Historically, the Vikings have been stereotyped to be blood thirsty, savages, but my research indicates that they were much more than this. They were successful farmers who provided for their families. They were experienced tradesmen as seen in the ships they built. And, they were tactical warriors. They did conduct raids, steal and even killed people, but no more than any other society that lived in their times.