The Roots of Stereotypes

I PLEDGE TO:
1. Be good to myself mentally, emotionally, and physically by choosing to love me
unconditionally
2. Be the change I want to see by actively breaking stereotypes in my daily life
3. Be a critical consumer of media by supporting messages that are positive &
uplifting
4. Be an outstanding student by holding myself to high academic standards, no
matter my chosen career path
5. Be a good steward over my personal finances by spend money wisely and
growing my wealth
6. Be a productive & law abiding citizen that is invested in my community
7. Be careful in planning my family and taking necessary precautions in my
behaviors
8. Be more than just a statistic, by living as an example for my peers and
embracing the 4 Arms of Resistance.
• Stereotypes is a widely held, oversimplified belief or
idea of a particular type of person or thing.
• This is take a certain type of thing or person and apply
it in stereo.
• These come in all forms:
• Gender
• Class
• Racial/Ethnic
Blacks Latinos
• Lazy • “Illegal”
• Violent (Thugs, Gangs, etc.) • Drug Dealers
• Stupid • Lazy
• Athletic • Dirty
• Bad English
• Lawless
• Large Families
• Loud
• Laborers
• Musical or entertaining • Cooks
• Welfare/Poor • Welfare/Poor
•Where do these stereotypes come from?
•How are they kept alive?
•Are there times when we (us) perpetuate
stereotypes unconsciously?
•What effect do they have on our communities?
1. The Buck
2. The Tom
3. The Coon
4. The Mammy
5. The Jezebel
6. The Pickanniny/Sambo
• Male
• Young
• Physically intimidating
• Athletic
• Dangerous
• Overly sexual (particularly with
White or Latina women)
• Violent
• Aggressive
• Male
• Old
• Gentle
• Harmless (obedient)
• Low intelligence
• Loyal to the master
• Dislikes own kind
• Often called “Uncle”
• Male
• Never serious
• Clown
• Uneducated
• Always joking
• Lazy and jobless
• Ready to perform (sing, dance,
tap, make jokes, etc.)
• Believes he is being laughed
with, but is actually being
laughed at.
• Female
• Older
• Heavy-set/Overweight
• Loud mouth
• Sassy attitude (only to her own
kind)
• Loyal servant
• Head of the household
• Often called “Aunt” or “Auntie”
• Female
• Young
• Hyper-Sexual
• Bad Attitude
• No intelligence
• Chasing after men
• Dresses provocatively
• Ready to fight
• Child or adolescent
• Unmonitored
• Always near danger
• Dirty
• Torn clothes
• Immune to pain
• The Bandito
• The Macho Latino/Latin Lover
• The Spicy Latina
• The Cholo & Chola
• The Laborer
• Male
• Violent (Gun or Knife)
• Drunkard
• Lazy
• Criminal
• Womanizer
• Poor English
• Male
• Machismo
• Sexist
• Jealous
• Overly sexual
• Tall, dark, handsome
• Dominant
• Female
• Lusty
• Exotic
• Hot-tempered
• Strong accent
• Overly sexual
• Dependent
• Male or Female
• Gang bangers
• Tattooed
• Violent
• Aggressive
• Uneducated
• Dangerous
• Narcos
• Male or Female
• Hard working
• Undocumented
• Obedient
• Trustworthy
• Unintelligent/Uneducated
• Poor English
• Perhaps the most dangerous part of stereotypes is that they still
influence people
• This impacts decision making in politics, education, health care,
criminal justice, etc.
• Everybody is influenced by them, including the communities they are
about
• Some of the main perpetrators of stereotypes are people of color
Take a sheet of paper and number from 1-8
1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8.
 Exit Reflection

Think about all of the information you learned today.

Write a letter to a friend, peer, family member, or

person of your choice explaining your thoughts,
reactions, and ideas about race, culture, and
stereotypes.