9781422283820

14 CONFRONT I NG STEREOT YPES

Butch Women, Effeminate Men

Stereotypes exist for many different groups. Thinking that all black peo- ple can dance well or that all Japanese students are geniuses are examples of stereotypes. Conforming to a stereotype isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with dancing well or being very smart. The prob- lem comes when someone ignores who a person really is and instead only thinks about the stereotypes.

The cartoon character Speedy Gonzales presented an insulting image of Mexicans.