Quince Orchard High School Celebrates Diversity
People Around the World
Volume 1, Issue 2
December 2006
Bimonthly Faculty Newsletter
Under the Skin: Stereotypes That Hurt
We surveyed students from ESOL 3, 4, and 5, Psychology, AP Psychology, Philosophy class and the Leadership
class for stereotypes that have impacted students at school. Also, they shared how they would like to respond
to a person who referred to this stereotype. These are some of the responses. If you have the opportunity to
discuss these comments with students, there are several classroom activities attached.
STEREOTYPE
RE-
Asian people can‟t drive.
Go see a Japanese drag race before you make any conclusions.
Asians are hardworking all the
time and they have no time for
other things besides work.
That‟s not true at all. Asians do
have time for other things.
All football players are
troublemakers and none
of them are smart.
Jocks are stupid.
If they are stupid, why are they in
an AP class, the jokes aren‟t
funny.
Someone who is black
is ghetto.
That African-American
students are lazy, slackers,
troublemakers, etc.
Teachers say 9th & 10th
graders are immature.
I‟d say that they were arrogant
and that they shouldn‟t say this
until they get to know all of us.
STEREOTYPE
If a kid doesn‟t do
well in school, he
has no future.
RE-
Although my grades don‟t
reflect it, I am very smart and
have gotten into my first
choice college.
Having long hair
means I do drugs.
Gay people are all
feminine and flamboyant.
Stay drug free.
It isn‟t true, my best
friend is gay and no one
knew until he told us. He
doesn‟t act girly at all.
Just because I‟m black
doesn‟t mean I‟m ghetto.
You can‟t put all of us in
one group, it‟s not fair.
I am a black belt and
teach karate, I am very
mature for my age.
Students who are quiet, sportsinvolved, or who don‟t put themselves forward as intellectuals are
“bored” in class and have no interest in learning.
If a student doesn‟t know the
answer, it doesn‟t mean that he
or she lacks respect for the material or for the teacher. A
teacher should not favor certain
personality types at the expense
of others.
Being Jewish
makes you rich,
stingy and snotty.
White people think
they‟re above everyone else.
Whites are racists,
so are Asians.
Stereotyping is just not
acceptable, even if it is
in a joking manner.
You‟re wrong, but
you must think you
are above everyone
else to believe that.
Don‟t judge a group
of people for the behavior or one.
STEREOTYPE
STEREOTYPE
Women don‟t learn as well as men.
Somebody said this to me:
Go back to China! They
think Chinese are stupid.
Shut up!
If you have a large
chest, you are automatically a slut.
They should learn to
be polite before going to school.
Asian people are
slow and goofy.
In the back of my mind is the idea
to fight that person. I would just
tell that person that it‟s immature to
judge someone by their appearance.
Someone called me an
ugly African monkey.
Since God made you so beautiful, why aren‟t you happy?
All Africans have HIV/ AIDS.
All Latinas are loud,
lazy and thieves.
People say about Latino people that they
are all in gangs.
All people who look Hispanic
can speak Spanish.
I don‟t like when people automatically assume that you smoke or do
drugs because you are gay.
ESOL students have no
future and are stupid.
I‟m referred to as the
White girl who always hangs out with
Black people.
White people and Asians
are in all the smart classes
and Blacks and Spanish are
in the lower and dumber
classes.
Because you are white
and a girl, you can‟t be
a good athlete.
Don‟t judge people without
knowing them.
I try to be calm and I would tell
them “prove it”. Of course, they
can‟t prove it „cuz it‟s not true.
Stop saying those things
because they are not all
Latino, some are people
from your country too.
The POMS have a
reputation of being
“easy”, slutty and
popular girls.
White people are the
good kids and do
nothing wrong and
don‟t get in trouble.
Someone made a comment about Catholics
and it offended me.
Not everybody had the opportunity to learn 2 languages. It annoys me.
Do I look like a druggy to
you? Well, no, but I‟m gay.
All Middle
Eastern people
are Muslim.
All Indians and Arabs
are terrorists.
How I respond depends on
whether or not it‟s a bad day.
Then it will be a fight. Usually
I‟m reserved though.
I would like to say that I
don‟t always hang out and
date Black people. I have a
variety of friends.
It‟s not about race in the
classes. It might just be
who works hard to stay in
those classes.
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REIt‟s rude and
ignorant, and
not all people
are like that.
All the girls on
POMS aren‟t the
same, so if one of
the girls is like
that, it doesn‟t
mean the rest of
them are like that.
They need to pay
attention to the skill
and not the physical part of games.
AfricanAmericans do
not see all of the
bad actions of
White kids.
Respect me,
these are my
beliefs.
I‟m Middle
Eastern and I‟m
Christian. So
are a lot of
other Middle
Easterners.
Where did you get that idea?
“Preps” are stuck
up.
The way someone dresses
doesn‟t create
their personality.
People who dress
punk/ goth are bad
kids/ students and are
a bad influence.
Not all punk/ goth
kids are bad, a lot
of them are nice,
cool, relaxed people who are pretty
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Stereotype Busters (continued)
Debriefing
Use the following questions to help students think about how and when to challenge stereotypes in real life situations.
Note: During the debriefing, be sure to discuss when it is and is not appropriate to challenge statements made by other
people.
1. How did it feel to speak up about stereotypes?
2. What happened when it was your turn to “bust” the stereotype? Was it easy or difficult?
3. What are some other stereotypes? How do you think these are learned? What are some ways to respond?
4. It has been said that a stereotypical statement tells more about the person who says it than about the people who
are being stereotyped. What does this mean? Do you agree or disagree?
REDUCING PREJUDICE (abbreviated version)
Materials: “Scenarios” cards
On large index cards, write some scenarios such as the following:
Objectives:
What Happened
1. A new student arrives at school wearing the dress of her native country. The other students make fun of her and call her
a weirdo. No one wants to sit next to her.
A Better Ending
1. A new student arrives at school wearing the dress of her native country...
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Students will be able to define prejudice.
Students will identify alternatives to prejudiced behavior.
Introduction
Gordon Allport defines prejudice as “an attitude in a closed mind”. In a closed mind, an attitude is cut off from new
information. At its least dangerous level, prejudice is a filter that keeps one person from seeing beyond a stereotypical
image. When a prejudiced person takes an action that prevents another person or a group from exercising Constitutional or human rights, then discrimination is at work. This lesson is designed to call attention to intolerant behaviors
that are the starting point of discrimination and to help students practice alternatives to prejudice.
Procedure:
1. Distribute to students the scenarios. Have students take turns reading or acting them out. Then lead a discussion
about ways in which we are different from one another.
2. Ask students to consider whether these differences are reasons to fear or dislike one another.
3. Have students respond to these questions and explain their answers.
Have you ever seen behavior like this? Is this behavior unusual? Is it acceptable?
How do you think the students who have been picked on feel? Why did it happen?
4. Explain that prejudice means judging someone before you really know that person. People are prejudiced when they
judge other people solely on traits such as skin color, gender, religion, or social group. Ask why each scenario is an
example of prejudice?
5. Divide the class into cooperative groups and direct students’ attention to the scenarios again. Ask each group to
devise and role-play different endings for each situation that shows tolerance for differences and reduces prejudice.
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These lesson plans are from the book Looking At Ourselves and Others, a publication of Peace Corps World Wise
Schools (http://www.peacecorps.gov.) For more lessons similar to this or for information about the Peace Corps
World Wise Schools classroom exchange, talk to E. Fuhrman.
Check out http://www.tolerance.org They provide free educational kits that “promote respect for differences and
appreciation of diversity in the classroom and beyond” to teachers, librarians, counselors, and school administrators.
For contributions, ideas and feedback, please contact Elizabeth Fuhrman (ESOL).
PAW issues are now available online at http://esol.qohs.org/PAW/PAW.htm.
HAVE A WONDERFUL WINTER BREAK!
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A Quince Orchard High School ESOL Department Publication