Negative Aspect of stereotyping

-Daliza

A problem facing our generation and generations to come is Hispanics not being able to arise to their highest potential. They are being oppressed by superior forces and because of it can’t achieve their goals and place them in certain categories as a result. Something needs to be done so that Hispanics can have the same opportunities and respect to be looked at as educated person who is able to attend an Ivy League school such as Yale, Harvard, etc.

Stereotyping has gone on from generation to generation. It is a never-ending struggle in the youth today. Hispanics are now the biggest population of minorities in the United States making up 10% in the year 1995. Many came from over populated and poor economies to the United States with one thing which was a dream. All that they want is a good life with fair opportunities. However, certain obstacles are oppressing them from achieving success such as stereotyping. 

As the semester is coming to an end in Schreiber High School seniors are or most of them know what college they are getting accepted to. The lists of the names of students that are going to Yale, Harvard, and Nassau are posted. 

 One perfect example is a girl who had one dream of being accepted to her 1^st choice school NYU. She had top-notch grades and participated in many activities. The one thing that was stopping her was not being able to pay for it. Her parents both worked full time jobs and worked for minimum wage and this girl knew she would have no chance of paying 40,000 a year for college. She decided to go to Nassau instead and was on the honor role for 2 years straight until she was able to get a scholarship allowing her to enter into her dream school NYU.

There are many minorities out there looking to make their parents proud and show that they succeeding and worked hard to get it. However, many people view minorities as the inferior and think that most of them aren’t educated because of the language barriers. In Schreiber we deal with the problem all the time. Many tend hear Nassau Community College and associate it with minorities because its cheap and you don’t have to have such a high GPA to get in. However, it creates the stereotype that minorities go there for negative reasons when that’s not the case. People tend to judge by how you look when what’s stopping you is economic problems.

The solution to the problem is not guaranteed. However, one way of helping is by created a day that all different people from social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds come together to see what’s it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes for a day. At guidance meetings there should be more talks about this and how its affecting many people. It needs to be addressed before it spreads and for those who already stereotype, should learn the facts before assuming the worst about certain groups.