RAMAK SIADATAN: Prejudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

I talk too much. I can’t possibly be that happy. I can’t possibly be that sincere when I ask people about their lives. I assume the task was to talk about the bad impressions. J In case you wanted some good things it would probably be...friendly, smart, jovial.

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

Most of them are true. The ones that aren’t...I actually AM that happy. I actually AM that sincere. I really just like people. And despite being 31, I think I’ve seen a lot in my life and many things that might stress others doesn’t really change my blood pressure. But yes...I definitely talk too much!

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

Tough question. Stereotypes are often stereotypes because there is partial truth. For my country... the government is definitely anti-American. The people, not really. The government definitely has beef with Israel. The people, not really. Mostly, a Middle Eastern country like mine just wants to be left alone without the influence of the “Western” world. Obviously it’s not that simple. But I would say the extreme parts of most stereotypes are what should be looked at the hardest for the level of truth.

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

Depends on what it means to be prejudiced. I have made many observations about different people from different cultures or ethnic backgrounds, but it doesn’t in turn wield some negatively formed opinion by me of the people I come across from that culture / ethnicity. So if prejudice is a function of thinking or behaving negatively towards a specific group of people because they are *that* group of people, then I don’t really ever find myself to be prejudiced. But do I make observations? Well, see my answer to the next question.

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

A stereotype, if observed thoughtfully and questioned properly can be a useful tool in understanding what drives a particular person to behave and interact as they do. For example, it is a stereotype that people from my culture wear lots of gold and smell heavy with cologne/perfume. And you know what? There are many people in my culture who fit that profile. I would just point to two things to “manage” the stereotype properly. First, realize that doesn’t apply to everyone. Second understand a little about those who do embody the stereotype. Behind the gold and perfume is a culture founded in a region where gold is very accessible, the sense of smell is not overlooked among the other senses and that the people have grown up to be social creatures wanting to be amongst others that want to talk about life, eat, dance and find a soul mate. And you really will find that just by digging into the stereotype a little bit.

SHERRY ZHANG: Prejudice and Sterotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

I guess my colleagues may think that I’m influential and aggressive in life on getting things done just like I am in working environment…

For people who meet me the 1st time may think I’m docile and will follow whatever others says; or I’m effeminacy, needs a lot of caring and help…

2. Which of these assumptions are true?
All of the above are not true. In life, I’m pretty easygoing, often not bother to think too much or spend too much time and energy to plan things which I think is not important. I follow my feeling pretty much in life, and often show as no plan and not intelligent and capable…that might give people the feeling that I have no idea and would easily follow others.

The truth is, in my work, I would be viewed as influential and sometimes stubborn. I could be pushing to others as I can move very fast on things I know I need to get it done.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?
“Time reveals a person's heart” – I like this saying. And I believe in it. I do keep long term friendship with my friends and ex-colleagues. They know me by working with me.

4. . What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?
I once thought that poor people are more sympathetic and wealthy are cruel… When I went to the school in the urban area the last year at my high school, I got chance to stay in the class with all the students whose families were in the city – and I was from a small town. I initially thought my classmates were selfish and penny-pinching “oppidans”. Indeed I experienced the most care from them as the only one that stayed in the poor dormitory of the school. I got to know that often it’s only when an individual doesn’t need to worry his/her own living, he/she would have more care to others.

I once thought that foreigners usually obey transportation rules, not like many of Chinese. Only when I saw that more and more westerns started to cross the road without pay attention to the lights, I got to know that people are influenced by the environment they are in not by their race.

Our education in many years instilled negative impression of Japanese, till I saw them in their country and worked with them together…

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

In our culture, there are a lot of idioms which people may view as stereotypes. We often view many of our parents’ words are “stereotypes”… but as I’m growing up, I got to see the value from those stereotypes. There are things are accumulated from history that we have to follow.

A minor example, in Chinese saying, two parties of marriage should be “matched” to each other from their family, wealth, background…etc. It was debated and challenged for many years by people. Then you noticed many divorced people gave the reason of “personality was not matched to each other” for their divorce. Exploring back, “personality” was formed from growing history, it’s also the value that was built up along the way the person was raised up… Matching is important for a marriage.

Okay, so much for this topic – I’m not sure if I get it right to the meaning of “stereotypes” in English…

EDUARDO INFANTE: Predjudice and Stereotypes

Ok, first of all, I apologize for the delay. Several events in my personal/professional life led me to skip posting anything two weeks ago. I am now writing with a big delay. But assuming you all understand how hectic things can get from time to time, I'm sorry you'll forgive me. So here's my answers...

1. What are some of the things that people who don't know you very well tend to think of you?
People who don't know me tend to think of me as: a) a very serious individual, b) a kind fellow, c) an easy-going dude, d) a mature guy, and e) a well-informed person.


2. Which of these assumptions are true?
Let's see... let me get through each of these on an individual basis:

a) A very serious individual. This is the most basic assumption that people who don't know me make about me. And it's true, to some extent. I would not call my self a serious person as much as I would say I'm a rather thoughtful guy. That is, I like to internalize my thought before they come out of my mouth. Most times, however, this is perceived as if I were a rather quiet, perhaps shy person, which is not true. Those who know me well know that I can be as outgoing and outspoken as anyone else. It's just that I like to measure my words and actions before hand... most times.

b) A kind fellow. Yes, they get me right if that's the first impression I leave on people to whom I just met. I'm kind, I'm mellow, I'm the kind of person who cares about others, who suffers with injustice, and who cannot help drop a tear or two in the movies, if the film calls for it. I also try to be gentle on people. My education steps up most times, and it's rather improbable than I won't let a lady in first, when we're both about to enter a building.

c) An easy-going dude. No hidden personality here, either. I try to go through life in a happy-go-lucky mode, which sometimes drives people close to me (e.g. wife) nuts.

d) A mature guy. I am mature. But sometimes I get to be too childish, too. Perhaps, most people who first meet me may be led to think I'm more mature than I actually am.

e) A well-informed person. My cultural baggage and my education, as well as my drive to stay up to the news, on almost everything, usually allow me to get along with most types of people, despite the apparent differences I may have with them.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true, if any?

• Mexicans are lazy. Eduardo Infante is not lazy, but he is perhaps a little bit too laid-back for some cultures.
• Mexicans are warm and friendly.Yep, that's me.
• Mexicans are not hard workers. Not me. If 70 hours a week at my workplace and a huge commitment to my employer are not enough to argue the contrary, I can at least guarantee you that you will find a hard worker in me. If something, I can get too distracted, trying to do too many things at once, from time to time.

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

At 5'10'', I don't fall in the "tall people" category. Sometimes, I've found that people tend to think better of taller persons, and (profesionally) I've found myself excluded from certain opportunities, just because of my height. My weight is a whole different issue. I have the feeling that some people may judge me as a non persistant person just because I've let myself to gain some extra pounds in the recent years.


5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?
I try to think of stereotypes as a negative in the way we perceive things. Nonetheless, I would lie if I said I don't have stereotypes on others myself. Therefore, I can at least assure you that I've learned from my mistakes, and can honestly say that breaking stereotypes is one of the most gratifying things that have ever happened to me.

JENNIFER RABOLD - Predjudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

I think that most people think that I am completely confident and self-assured and competent at all times. There are a few people (mostly my mother, sometimes my husband) who know that I have plenty of moments of feeling totally insecure and unbearably incompetent (especially the past year and a half in my doctoral studies).

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

See above.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

Like Bianca Regina, I found a list of stereotypes about my country. According to the list, Americans are:

· Boastful and arrogant.
· Disrespectful of authority.
· Drunkard.
· Extravagant and wasteful.
· Generous.
· Ignorant of other countries and cultures.
· Informal.
· Insensitive.
· Lazy.
· Loud and obnoxious.
· Promiscuous.
· Racist.
· Rich and wealthy.
· Rude and immature.
· Snobbish.
· Stingy.
· Think they know everything.
· Thinks every country should imitate the US.
· Uninformed about politics.

A few of these are just dead wrong about me and always have been: boastful and arrogant, ignorant of other countries and cultures, lazy, loud and obnoxious, racist, thinks every country should imitate the U.S., uninformed about politics.

Some of them are probably right in comparison to other less developed countries, but certainly not in comparison to other Americans: extravagant and wasteful, rich and wealthy, stingy.

Some of them are right on the money, and I don’t mind: disrespectful of authority (but in a critical, I’m-not-going-to-believe-everything-they-say kind of way) generous, informal.

Some of them were right about me at one time or another (mostly when I was young and stupid): drunkard, promiscuous, rude and immature.

Some of them are probably more right than I’d like to admit: insensitive, snobbish, think they know everything (what? I don’t?)

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

Like many of you, I like to think that I am not prejudiced at all, but I know that my biggest prejudices are against the right-wing nut jobs, conservative Christian holier-than-thou types, homophobes, racist bigots, misogynists, and all those other people out there who are not accepting of differences. It’s much easier for me to try to walk a few miles in the moccasins of the minority, the immigrant, the refugee, the veteran with PTSD, the criminal, the homeless, the drunk, the addict, the suicide, the behavior problem, the anorexic, and all those people who are suffering, sometimes by their own bad choices and sometimes because of forces beyond their control. I guess that’s what makes me a liberal.

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

There was an interesting article in Time magazine a few weeks ago called “Race and the Brain” (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1848769,00.html), which explained the research about how the brain responds to someone who’s of a different race. Evidently, the reaction of the brain to a different race is initially fear, and that fear was at one time evolutionarily beneficial, because it allowed people to process very quickly who was a member of their tribe. However, that reaction occurs in the amygdala, the “animal brain,” and the higher regions of the brain can counteract that initial reaction fairly quickly. But I suppose that’s why prejudice is so hard to overcome… we’re hard wired for it. And it’s why even though we would like to say we are not prejudiced or racist, we still have to examine ourselves and our society, to acknowledge white privilege, for example (see Peggy McIntosh’s article, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” at http://mmcisaac.faculty.asu.edu/emc598ge/Unpacking.html). But I suppose what’s also important to realize is that all prejudice stems from fear. And perhaps acknowledging that can free us.

BRETT BATTLES - Prejudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

Eh…heck if I know. If they don’t know me very well, I probably don’t know them so don’t know what they are thinking. But if I were to guess, I think they might believe that I’m a generally happy person who always likes to make the joke.

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

Sadly, yes. Okay, not sadly. But yes, to a certain extent.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

I think I’m deceptively non-stereotypical.

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

Prejudice is something that I loath. But I am prejudice, there is no denying that. I have little tolerance for those who have no tolerance. For example, it looks like we have just passed a law here in California that will deny homosexuals the right to marry. That pisses me off like you can’t believe. How can we deny rights to a certain group?? It’s just like the pre-60s America again, when blacks were not allowed to drink from the same water fountain as others in some places, or races would not be allowed to marry each other. Don’t get me started!

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

In life I try to disregard stereotypes when meeting people. But I can’t say I’m always successful. Certainly there are some stereotypes that help us understand others, and there are other stereotypes that are either false or so out of date that they harm our relations with others. The fact that some people probably didn’t vote for Barack Obama merely because he was half-African-American is ridiculous to me, but it definitely happened. So is there value? On occasions. But wouldn’t it be great if we got rid of stereotypes all together? An impossibility, I know, but worth dreaming about.

RICK VON FELDT: Prejudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

When I used to work in Singapore – I would sometimes go out to coffee with my assistant. That poor woman had to deal with my “office demeanor” – which often times would be short, impatient and rather direct. After a few cups of coffee, and taking time to really talk, I would usually ask her about how the team was doing – and if there was any thoughts about me she was hearing. I was always surprised to hear her call me “fierce.” I don’t see myself as fierce. I also think that until people get to know me – they wonder what in the world I am doing living a single life. I think the assume there must be something wrong with me – and that something bad in my life happened, causing me to want to live alone all these years.

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

I don’t think I am fierce. Impatient? Yes. And ok – if certain principles in life are violated – then I can get fierce – at least in my stare. But I rarely erupt in anger. I sometimes like to “grrr” at other cars on the highway. There I can be fierce. Last week, when I was in Kansas, my parents would often fight on where they would sit in the car. They would argue on who would get to be in the back seat. Perhaps that is a reflection of people who do know me – and my fierceness?

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

I suppose I have to start with what I think are the main stereotypes: thoughtlessly optimistic, sometimes shallow, generally US centric and not thinking about the world. We can be seen as fundamentalists – based upon not well thought out ideas or based upon religion. We are thought to be consumptive and wasteful. We act sometimes before we think. We are more interesting in what is possible versus what should not be.

Am I like that?

I think I do embody the optimism of America. I like to think about “yes I can” vs. “no – we can’t do that.” I have been weaned on the idea that hard work can get you anything. I don’t take no for an answer and I will question, but yes, sometimes on emotion rather than thought. I don’t think I am shallow and if anything – too intense in general.

I think what would have also been interesting with this question is that each of us should have provided to the others what our perspectives of stereotypes were for their countries. I think I will go back and do that in the comment section. For example, I have some interesting ideas for Peter as an Australian….

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

I am prejudiced at times. I admit it. For example, I stereotype – and am predjudiced about drivers in California. I believe, and am right about 95% of the time that the slowest and wrong drivers on the highway are Hispanics or Asian women wives. I stereotypically blame this on lack of confidence or skill. It drives me crazy – and I talk to them when I pass them crazily in my car in the fast lane. Or rather – when they are in the fast lane – and I have to go around them!

When I returned to the USA – I had to once again adjust to the idea in America that you are not allowed to see color. In Asia – people would describe me as a Caucasian. That is what I was. It was a way to designate. That could have add on connotations. But with so much ethnic diversity – it was sometimes easier to understand people based upon a starting point. Of course, it also irked me when I was described as an American. And with that – came lots of stereotypes of silly Americans or American expats that hung out at the American Club.

Last week, I was reminded about how some of these predjudices form. I was back home with my family. I had taken a few of them out for lunch. In the route to drive to the Thai restaurant, I managed to take wrong turn – and headed incorrectly in to East Topeka. Topeka, like many Midwest towns either self segregate – or simply do it economically, which often achieves the same result. (Oops. You see – that is also a stereotype – some of which is true – but of course, not completely.)

As we started to drive into these neighborhoods, in which lawns were not cut, debris not removed and houses were not well kept, horror crossed the eyes of my families face. One of them even made a surprising comment with racial overtones. I was surprised at their reaction. Yet – I reminded myself that 20 years ago – I had the same perspective. This type of neighborhood in Topeka meant either Hispanic or Black neighborhoods. It was still true – but somehow – thinks looked less dangerous to me. I am not sure if this is because while living in Asia – I made new associations that poor did not equal bad or dangerous. I replaced some of that fear with empathy. But that is not what I was brought up to believe. While my Germanic upbringing has served me well in worth ethic – it can also breed intolerance to those who don’t work hard and make something of themselves. That intolerance gets mixed with fear – and expectations – and for many – nasty stereotypes develop.

Let me recount one more story that is fresh on my mind. It happened tonight, on the eve of Barack Obama becoming the president-elect of the US. About an hour before Obama was declared the winner of the election, I was finishing up at the gym. (If I have to watch election results, I might as well be on the treadmill at the same time!)

In the men’s locker room, I had finished showering, and was putting on my clothes. Usually, most people in the gym only talk to people they know. And since this is not my purpose in the gym, I keep my head down, do my work out and get out of there. No conversation.

A man on the nearby bench blurted out to me, “Well – that seems to have ended pretty quick tonight.” I looked around, and not seeing anyone else, realized he was talking to me.

“Pardon me?” I said.

“The election is already over. He won.”

I nodded.

“Now what are we going to do?” he said.

I was surprised that a stranger was talking to me. And even more surprised that he was asking provoking questions about politics. I was trying to think about how to handle the question. I was wearing jeans. My hair is longer. I certainly didn’t “look” the McCain (stereotype). Why was he saying this to me?

I decided to take the high road – and just get out of it. I responded, “It is time for a new America.”

He simply huffed and said, “We have been paying them to have babies for twenty years. Now we are going to pay for it.”

I was surprised. Shocked. I didn’t know what to say. I was tempted to spit something back at him, but I knew that it was a wrong place to debate. And moreover – he was a person not worth convincing.

I said nothing.

But as I drove home, I played the conversation over in my head – and tried to realize where his prejudice and perspective was coming from.

I can go more into my thought. But my bottom line realization is that the man had fear in his eyes. In his mind, his white world of supremecy was slowly coming to an end. And for him – and many Americans with wrong impressions about diversity in their minds – they are filled with fear.

I had to fortunately experience to be a diverse person living in a diverse world. Young people today are growing up in the same way.

But older generations of self (and this is a generalization and a stereotype) segregation haven’t learned that the world is a mix.

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

Several of my author colleagues said that there is not much value in predjudice. While I agree that it can lead to many negative things – I think there is some value.

Sometimes, to me, it is like starting out with a hypothesis. You start with a set of assumptions and then your job is to either validate or dispel them. I have a sterotype that Asian women of 45 years of age here in California are slow drives that only come out at 10:30 am. I would hope that I find them out here kicking my butt in the fast lane. Generally, my sterotype is true. And I cheer them on when the buck the trend.

I stereotype that people from the Midwest have a certain set of “land values.” I go about validating if it is true and what is not true.

I believe, whether we like it or not – we all discover other people in this way. What is wrong is when we judge and don’t optimistically look to validate both sides.

I will give one more example.

Today, I needed to go in to ATT to get a new USB wireless card for my computer. I walked in to the store, and walked up to the man behind the counter who was free. He had scruffy facial hair. His polo shirt was way too tight to cover his massive 250 lb frame. He was not Caucasian. He had an ear ring.

Whether I wanted to or not – I had instant perspectives in what I thought he might be – both good and bad.

To me – challenge is to have those stereotypes – and then go about dispelling them or proving them true.

Isn’t that what we do as humans?
Is that right or wrong?

(drop me a note for more on my interactions with this particular chap – and whether my stereotype held true or not.)

PETER WARING - Prejudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

A tricky question since I also don’t know the people who don’t know me very well. I guess though some people might view me as being a little serious and reflective – perhaps even a little ‘anal’? Some may even think I’m conservative? People who know me better know that I have a broad and occasionally bizarre sense of humour and a left-leaning, liberal political orientation.

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

Certainly not the assumption that I am conservative. I can be quite serious and reflective though and sometimes I do need to remind myself to temper idealism with realism and not to get too ‘worked-up’ over the things that get me angry – prejudice, anti-intellectualism, narrow thinking…

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

Australians are typically seen to be free and easy people with a laconic style and friendly disposition. We’re known for being intolerant of ‘bull-shit’ and those who seek to assert their superior social status. I guess this description is generally true of me also though I tend to be less laconic and perhaps not as ‘free and easy’ as other Aussies. I also wrestle less crocodiles then my fellow Australians and have only once ridden on the back of a Kangaroo!

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

Ditto Bob’s comments on ‘right-wing’ nutjobs. I also find myself prejudiced against those with narrow views but who also fail to read or attempt to broaden their understanding of any important issue but rather cling to ill-conceived, self-interested and anachronistic ideology.

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

Only in reminding us that the basis of prejudice is often founded on a gross perceptual error. To take someone’s skin-colour, gender or sexual orientation and link this to certain negative behaviours or characteristics is plainly stupid.

BOB RIEL: Prejudice and Stereotypes

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?

Well, I just got back from an appointment with a new chiropractor and am currently sitting in a local cafe, where I just had a short conversation about coffee and Halloween with a barista who only recently began working here. Neither of these individuals know me well at all, so what would their impressions be of me? I think for someone who doesn't know me very well, I come across as friendly, down to earth, calm, probably unexcitable. People who know me slightly better probably assume I am relatively organized.

2. Which of these assumptions are true?

All of them, at least to some degree (otherwise people wouldn't get a certain impression, right?). However, with people who know me well, I think I'm more excitable, have more interests and am less organized than I probably show in public.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?

Americans are generally seen as a friendly people. They are also perceived to be individualists and risk-takers. And, for better or worse, I guess most non-U.S. citizens perceive Americans to be woefully uninformed about or uninterested in the rest of the world. I meet the first stereotype in that I'm a friendly person who is easy to get along with. I'm an intermittent risk-taker (more than some people but less than others, and perhaps less than I should be). I am, though, very interested in the rest of the world.


4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?

Does it make sense to be prejudiced against people who are prejudiced? And does this mean, in fact, that I'm no better than those I'm prejudiced against? Sorry, but I do find myself with a prejudice against those who judge others by their skin color or their education or whatever. And I can't help myself, but I'm prejudiced against the right-wing nutjobs who make up the base of the national Republican party here in the U.S. Not against all Republicans, as there are some very good and reasonable ones out there, but some of these people really need to get a grip on reality.


5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?

Stereotypes are valuable to the degree that they give us a flavor of the truth. Just as in question one, surface assumptions about an individual have at least some basis in reality but are rarely the entire story. It's the same with stereotypes about a people or culture. They are not completely true, but there are enough nuggets of truth to give us insight into how a people act and think.

ANDREAS EKSTROM: Prejudice and Stereotypes

1-2 What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you? Which of these assumptions are true?
I don't drink alcohol, because I don't like the taste of it. It breaks through, in beer, in wine, in liquor and in cocktails. So I don't drink it. (I don't like celery either, but noone has ever put much effort in trying to get me to eat celery...) People tend to think I am a control freak because of that. It's true that I am, to an extent – but it has little or nothing to do with me not liking a particular taste. (How much control do you lose over two glasses of wine to dinner? That is not the issue.) People also think I don't mind conflicts, since I am confident and express myself well. But I do, boy do I ever.

3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?
Swedes are dull. I am not. Swedish food is bland. I don't cook bland food. But Swedes are also said to be morally liberal, democratic, non-corrupt, a little envious by nature, tall and fair skinned. Yep, that's me.

4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?
I am generally quick. Quick to analyze, quick to categorize, quick to understand. Sometimes I rush it. I always have to make sure I re-evaluate often. And I try to put very little pride in being right – that does make it easier to change one's mind...

5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?
A stereotype is often based on a foundational truth – that might not be true all the time, or with all people. I might make use of it in some sort of simplified context, to understand the first little bit of what there is to understand. And that's ok, as long as I am aware of what is what.

WEEK FOUR: Five Questions on PREJUDICE and STEREOTYPES

WEEK FOUR: Five Questions on PREJUDICE and STEREOTYPES

AUTHOR IN CHARGE OF THIS WEEK: Bianca Regina

Hi everyone, here are my five questions for next week:

1. What are some of the things people who don't know you very well tend to think about you?
2. Which of these assumptions are true?
3. Which stereotypes about your country are true about you, if any?
4. What are situations in which you find yourself to be prejudiced?
5. To you, what value is there in stereotypes?