Falling Short of the Stereotype

Stereotypes have always had a negative connotation. Assuming something about someone because he or she just fits a skeleton media has created is harmful to the group as a whole. There are the bad stereotypes such as Asians being bad drivers, Asian men being addicted to gambling and drinking “with the guys,” while picking at food for hours commonly known as “nha^.u,”, Vietnamese girls only working in nail salons and coffee shops, and never being able to pronounce any word that begins with the letters “t” or “s.” Those stereotypes are obviously harmful to the group, but what about the so-called “good” stereotypes?

“Good stereotypes” refer to assumptions made about Asians which most consider flattering, such as being great at math and a science genius. Are these insults or flattering compliments? I’m sure most would agree it is the latter of the two, but even too many “good stereotypes” can be harmful to any group as a whole.

Speaking on behalf of those who don’t fit perfectly into these “good stereotypes”—what about the rest of us? It’s not the best feeling in the world to know so many people who fit these “positive” assumptions while you, yourself, fall short. When others learn that you don’t have the top math scores, science is your worst subject and you don’t carry a calculator with you everywhere you go—it is not their disappointment, but their awe, that disheartens you. Are you really a rare and interesting creature because of those reasons?

The photo featured comes from South Park’s episode, “The Death Camp of Tolerance,” in which the tour guide stops and tells the group, “Not all stereotypes are negative. But even a positive one like ‘All Asians are good at math’ is harmful to society.”

So, what about the rest of us? What are we good for, then?—how about… everything else!? Not every Asian has to be a bio-chem major, and despite what all our parents want us to be when we “grow up,” we only need so many doctors and pharmacists in the world. What we need are individuals with their own skills and talents helping others in their own way. We need lawyers, teachers, accountants and many other highly respected and overlooked careers that “the rest of us” will excel in. With that in mind, maybe falling short of the Asian stereotype isn’t such a bad thing.

Who has created these stereotypes that so many young Asians feel they need to fulfill? Is it our elders, fellow peers or those on the outside who assume what they perceive in a small group must be the truth for its entirety? It could even be our own selves. The answer to that is arguable and left up to each individual; nevertheless, stereotypes are not to be taken seriously no matter how flattering they may be.