Have you ever heard of a stereotype? The actual definition of this term is: “A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing”. 9/10 people know what a stereotype is, and most have contributed in the spread of the “widely held” images and ideas that are directed towards race, religion, etc. How can stereotypes be made? Our own cultures reflect how we think, how we act, and how we look. Now, if we see another person who looks different, acts different, and thinks different, we are automatically making assumptions, opinions… and stereotypes.
Since we know that everyone has their own unique culture, it is obvious that some cultures may conflict more with certain cultures than they do with others. Depending on the aspects of culture you express and follow, you could create a negative or positive …show more content…
In the essay, “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Robert Lake, Lake said, “When my wife asked why not, the other boy’s mother answered, ‘Because you are Indians and we are white, and I don’t want my kids growing up with your kind of people’” (Lake 92). The only reason to prevent two children from playing outside of school was based on the idea that the Indian culture could be bad or dangerous. The boy’s mother specifically emphasizes that the reason she is against their children being together is because of her belief that Indians and Whites don’t belong together. At some point in her life this mother’s mind was molded to believe that the cultural differences between Whites and Indians is enough to prevent interaction between them. This perspective she has developed is a reflection of her own culture that she was raised to believe, because I can assume she has been White for the majority of her life. However, culture can change; the way that we act, believe, and dress are always changing and adapting. When our culture changes, so does our perspective on other cultures. In an essay by Bharati