The Danger of Racial Stereotypes and Myth-based Representation

There is no such thing as a positive stereotype.

One may think that a “good” stereotype is less harmful than a “bad” one, but anytime we group people into a generalized category that denies them their individuality, we are making a dangerous judgment call that can rob people of a true presence.

Human beings are complex and diverse; no group should be distilled to a myth-based depiction. Take the United States for an example. Even a term as seemingly innocuous as “Asian-American” represents vast limitations. There are currently 48 Asian countries on the globe, and 2,300 different Asian languages. Using the term “Asian American” does not take into account any of the nuances, histories, cultural differences, practices, or traditions that span this part of the world. It ignores differences in morals, climate, government, foods, values, family structures and music, to name a few. Instead, it allocates millions of people into one super group, so Americans don’t have to contend with the inconvenience of specificity. A Japanese Asian-American and an Indonesian Asian American may have very little in common and shouldn’t be seen as the same. To group all of these people as a single entity, despite the fact that they make up 7% of the US population, is dangerous and limiting.

What’s ironic about White Americans propensity to hastily classify other racial groups is the fact that White Americans resist being grouped themselves, even in relation to other Americans. New Yorkers never want people to confuse them with “bridge and tunnel people” from New Jersey, Midwesterners have their own sense of identity and wouldn’t want to be confused with Southerners. Even within a single state, such as California, people take pride in being from SoCal or NorCal. White Americans resist being jumbled together and avidly resist a singular identity, but fail to see the hypocrisy in their refusal to afford that same courtesy to other racial groups as well as Jews.

Another danger in classifying a people and perpetuating a seemingly “positive” stereotype is that it pits different minority groups against each other. In a recent episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver makes reference to “that stereotype, which flattens Asian Americans into quiet, hardworking, “ideal” immigrant caricatures.” The myth of the “model” minority is harmful for many reasons. It not only distills a large and diverse group of people into a single stereotype, it also measures different immigrant groups against this “model minority.” So by stereotyping the “ideal” immigrant, we are also stereotyping all other immigrants as “inferior.” It’s exceedingly problematic to classify people solely based on their perceived race without considering their individual histories, cultures, actions, and desires. Doing so can lead to animosity between minority groups. The allegedly “inferior” minority group resents the “preferred” minority group, and the “preferred” minority group has the potential to adopt societal stereotypes and, in turn, can further alienate anyone outside of their community. Spike Lee’s 1989 movie, “Do the Right Thing” deftly explores some of these tensions, and quite entertainingly.

When society elevates one minority, others feel even more oppressed which serves to pit groups against each other. John Oliver explains it well: “Very basically, America prioritized wealthy, more educated Asian immigrants, then turned to Black people who’d been subjugated for centuries and said, ‘See? They’re educated and successful. Why aren’t you?’” The key phrase here is “subjugated for centuries.” It is shamelessly unjust to fail to acknowledge the outsized impact of the legacy of slavery, White supremacy, and systemic racism on Black people. At the same time, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have their own long and harsh history of racism in the US with some of the most notorious examples including the punishing exploitation of the Chinese railroad workers starting in 1863, the annexation of Hawaii in 1889, the Japanese internment camps lasting from 1942-1945, and the explosion of Anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes instigated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Classifying all Asian Americans as wealthy and “more educated” is also limiting and untrue. These types of stereotypes are being used to maintain White dominance and limit diversity and individuality.

Stereotyping, in any capacity, denies people of their history, their voice, and their presence. Allowing people to be reduced to what we have decided they “represent” instead of who they actually are as unique and nuanced individuals, strips them of their humanity and perpetuates bigotry and oppression.