Feb. 17th, 2021
AS02
Yazan Alnaami
ENGL 102
Synthesis Outline
2. Using at least three works from the course, explain the nature of ethnic and racial stereotypes and
their effects.
Since the beginning of time, people have been putting others into categories. Whether it be based
on looks, behaviors, or any other quality, humans have a tendency to stereotype those who are
different from them. This can be seen in Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories from a South African
Childhood, in which he discusses the various stereotypes he faced as a child of a black mother and a
white father. The Take's "The 'Quirky Black Character' How Black Creators Challenge" discusses how
black creators are often pigeonholed into writing one-dimensional black characters. And in The
Conversation's "Don't Call Me Resilient, EP 8: Stolen identities: What does it mean to be
Indigenous?", the author discusses how Indigenous people are often stereotyped as being resilient.
These texts show that stereotypes are harmful because they pigeonhole people into onedimensional characters and rob them of their individuality. While stereotypes may seem harmless,
they can actually be quite harmful. They pigeonhole people into one-dimensional characters and
rob them of their individuality. This is harmful because it prevents people from seeing the individual
for who they are. It also can lead to discrimination and violence. There are a few different effects of
stereotypes. One is that they can lead to discrimination and violence. This is because when people
are seen as one-dimensional, they are often dehumanized. This can lead to people thinking that it is
okay to treat them poorly or even hurt them. Another effect of stereotypes is that they can prevent
people from seeing the individual for who they are. This is because people are often judged based
on the stereotypes that have been assigned to them. This can lead to people missing out on
opportunities or even friendships.
Overall, stereotypes are harmful because they pigeonhole people into one-dimensional characters
and rob them of their individuality. This can lead to discrimination and violence. It is important to
be aware of the stereotypes that exist in society and to not let them dictate how we see others.
Furthermore, stereotyping people might make them feel less of a person, despite the fact that we
are all meant to be born equal in this world, regardless of skin color or race. Trevor Noah's Born a
Crime: Stories from a South African Prisoner is a collection of stories about a South African prisoner.
Childhood can be related to this since it is about a naughty young boy who grows into a restless
young man as he fights to find himself in a world where he was never meant to exist Despite these
challenges and discrimination, he continued to fight and live because he has a partner in crime, his
mother, who is fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious; a woman determined to save her son
from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would eventually threaten her own life. Because
of racial prejudice, identification, and stereotyping, their lives have never been simple. Trevor was
born between a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was
punishable by a five-year prison sentence. Because of this, he was kept indoors because they knew
that once his identity was revealed, he would be taken away from them anytime. Such tyrannical
acts led to Trevor's life tremble which was quite different from what other normal children do.
"The 'Quirky Black Character' — How Black Creators Challenge" is a tale that is similar to this one in
that it also discusses how black people act. According to the podcast about black people, they are
thought to be goofy and honest in ways that other races are not. As a result, they are labelled as
quirky because of the unconventional and peculiar ways in which they speak, move, act, and even
interact with others. Although others can be complimented with their actions but still, they are
many who find it odd and discriminate them with their personality. Because of this, they experience
depression or anxiety leading others to almost give up in their life. However, in some cases, other
black people consider this as an inspiration to continue being unique and show what they are
capable of. For example, some popular NBA players are black because they are so tall and superb in
playing basketball. Barack Obama became the President of the United States. Singer like Bruno
Mars, Jay Z, John Legend, and many more became world class singers. Black actors and actresses
and even highlighted in Beauty pageants. Therefore, although they can be quirky, but they are
excellent in their own ways and they are now fully accepted in the societal change.
Finally, the text "The Conversation, Don't Call Me Resilient, EP 8: Stolen identities: What does it
mean to be Indigenous?" discusses indigenous people's resiliency as well as their poverty. As a
result, indigence is determined by the family's roots, the community in which you live, and
indigenous experiences. Although indigenous people are known as tenacious, many people have
taken advantage of this image and fraudulently claimed to be members of the poor community.
However, this group of people also experienced racism and the negative stigma that's been
attached to being Indigenous and yet they try their very best to show to people that indigenous are
the ones who preserve the country's cultural and traditional belief and bring the identity of the
nation.
All three works have been subjected to various forms of stereotyping in terms of how they are
seen in society. Although their life experiences may be similar to ours in terms of how people
assess, see, and discriminate us based on the color of our skin, the qualities we display, and even
the ethnicity to which we belong, what matters is that we know how to stand in a muddy puddle
with our feet. Similarly, Trevor Noah's story "Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories from a South
African Childhood" depicts how he was exposed to and confronted with racial discrimination and
even crime as a child. What matters is that you have a family who loves you unconditionally and will
fight for you even in your darkest hour. Also, like the 'Quirky Black Character' — How Black Creators
Challenge, we tend to be different from others, but that is what makes us distinct and
incomparable. They embrace the venom that is thrown at them and continue to live and show their
edge to others, particularly white people. They demonstrate that, despite their eccentricities, they
are great and even harmless. Finally, Don't Call Me Resilient, EP 8: The Conversation What does it
mean to be Indigenous if your identity is stolen? Even though we like to believe that it isn't
necessarily about where you live, it is for me . They embrace the venom that is thrown at them and
continue to live and show their edge to others, particularly white people. They demonstrate that,
despite their eccentricities, they are great and even harmless. Finally, Don't Call Me Resilient, EP 8:
The Conversation What does it mean to be Indigenous if your identity is stolen? Even though we
tend to believe that it isn't necessarily about where you originated from or what ethnicity you
belong to, I believe that we should honor and appreciate our indigenous people since they are living
example that resiliency can still be found. In general, in the present time that we are living, it really
matters on how we gave is you gave a positive difference in this VUCA world which stands for
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
Works cited :
Trevor Noah : Born a crime
The Conversation, Don't Call Me Resilient, EP 8: Stolen identities: What does it mean to be
Indigenous?
The 'Quirky Black Character' — How Black Creators Challenge