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From the East
Asian people get put into stereotypes just like any other race. From being judged as a math geek or being made fun of for not knowing English it happens here in America. I would think of the same things everyone else would if I saw an Asian for the first time. “Hey look, a Chinese kid, I better sit next to them! They’ll help me pass this class for sure!” Not only is this seen through our personal lives but it is also seen within our own media. Although we are called a math geek or an illiterate, each of these stereotypes could have their perks, yet, the stereotypes always strike us in a painful spot.

From this, I can tell you that my mom would always push me to do better in math. Taking math home, I would need help on it like every kid would. My mom made sure that I was good at it, since she was. Unlike American parents, if I brought home a B on my math homework, I’d get the longest lecture on how she did “so well” in math, that she’d get all these rewards, and I should be able to do better. Also, if I had an F on my report card, I would be scared to come home; once my mom came home and found out, I’d be locked up with chains and shackles to my bed until I brought it up to an A. We’d sit there the whole night with nothing but yelling and screaming from my mom with eraser marks everywhere. From consequences and disciplinary actions from my mom, I made sure that I did well in math.

Math is one of the most used subjects in the world; it has to be used in our everyday lives. If math was an easy subject for us, then we benefit from math and it would make a lot of everyday things less tedious for us. Prices become easier to think of, taxes are easier to do, and our occupations require at least these basic math skills to get through life. If this was a problem, most of us would be pulling hair out of our heads from having to do our own taxes and paying our own bills. You use math in architecture, accounting, business majors, and even in your own kitchen, counting how many teaspoons of sugar you need in your cupcakes.

We also use English in everyday life; everywhere you go, you find that people around the world know at least a little bit of the English language. Yet, Asians are categorized to be bad at English. People in America can’t really say that Asian Americans are bad at English, because we get the same type of education as everyone else does. Our parents, on the other hand, may not have the best grammar or vocabulary, but they didn’t have the type of education that we do now. My folks took classes here in America because they couldn’t take them in Vietnam.

The perk for known as being bad at English is that we get out of situations easier. If somebody is going door to door in our neighborhood trying to talk about their new vacuum product they’re trying to sell, and if we’re not interested we can just walk out and say, “Oh I have da no englit (English).” They’d smile then leave to the next house. This becomes great for us because we don’t have to listen to people continuing on about something we don’t need to know about. Tough situations become a little easier because people are sympathetic. They’d think that we just have a hard time because we don’t understand as much as anyone else would.

Like William Rasberry has said from //The Handicap of Definition//, “People tend to do better in things that they have been categorized in.” The media helps us stereotype people and makes us think that we know much about the specific race. Throughout American movies, Asians have been stereotyped within the movies as the studious foreign exchange student in the back, a martial artist, and even the evil villain. Because of actors portraying Asians in such a way, it makes Americans think that the Asian foreign exchange student must be a smart and studious kid, or that Asian kid sitting there laughing with his friends shouldn’t be messed with because he knows kung fu. This strikes every Asian kid straight to the heart, "My nickname was 'Long Duk Dong' in high school because of that character, and I think every Asian guy that ever went to an American school's nickname was Long Duk Dong because of that character. That means that you're not going to get any girls" (Lee as quoted by Mastropolo)

Stereotypes occur all around us, whether it is age, race, or gender; people commonly do it. We all participate in them one way or another, whether we are the ones being stereotyped or stereotyping others. Fulfilling these judgments or not, they follow us for the rest of our lives. Although stereotypes have its own perks, we need to either move on or we can all stop stereotyping others. Yes it’s a hard matter to address but this may take a step away from racism.

Reflecting Off Grades
“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” meaning we shouldn’t just make assumptions about a person from looks. This can be followed by looking at someone’s grades for the first time. After observing how the person is doing academically, we automatically put them into a category depending on their grades. We tend to think that he or she is a good kid if they have good grades yet; if they have bad grades then the kid is “bad.” Do grades really reflect on their talents? No they don’t, just because a kid has bad grades in English or math doesn’t mean that one day they can be a writer, an artist, or even a teacher.

If we took a look at Sandra Cisneros’ grades when she was young, we would have never thought that she would become a writer. “Of the 65 letter grades, only two “B’s” bob above the quicksand of mediocrity with the rest being “C’s” and “D’s.” (Clack) We typically expect writers to have high grades in English and reading but that’s only because we judge the book by its cover. Now when we see Sandra Cisneros’ name, they are on the covers of novels, poems and short stories such as //The House on Mango Street,// “The Eyes of Zapata,” “You My Saltwater Pearl,” “You Bring Out the Mexican in Me,” and //Caramelo.//

I’ve personally known some students in class who’ve had bad grades in English, but they flourish in a special talent. One of them being my personal friend, Lam, may not be the best in English writing but he is an amazing artist. He recently finished an iguana made out of clay but because of the details of the scales, eyes, face and body and including the paint, it took him months to finish. If you want to scare your parents or siblings, this iguana would do the trick just from how realistic it looks. This talent may be reflected on his report card through Art, but it’s just one class compared to math, English, reading and the main course classes. Usually you only look at the course classes and if he or she is not doing so well in that class, you don’t really think about how he or she triumphs in talents such as art.

Here in another example, we have a big trouble maker in China who left school all the time and didn’t get good grades. His parents, wanting him to excel in school, sent him here to America to further his education and to try to keep him out of trouble. Nobody expected him to change the media, become a movie star or even start teaching. His teachings of philosophy and martial arts still flourish throughout our nation right now as we speak. The legend Bruce Lee was this trouble maker who wasn’t expected to succeed because of how he was in school. From being the bully at school, starting fights he took his martial arts and transmitted them into the media making him unbelievably famous. This changed the media because he was the first main character in a movie that appeared in America who was not white. Because of this man, many comedians, body builders, and actors look up to him, people like Eddie Griffin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jackie Chan.



Do we expect these people to do great things as writing novels, art, and influencing the world when we see that they have more “D’s” than they do “A’s?” No, our society is so built up on success and perfection that we don’t push the kids who aren’t doing so well in school to reach for the stars. If grades didn’t seem to matter as much, then maybe our society would focus on helping the kids reach these dreams. Instead of bashing on the kid for having a “D,” we should tell them that they can reach for success, to follow dreams and to prove anyone wrong if someone says otherwise.

Irritating or Serene
“Tax the rich, end the war,” was recited again and again on October 8, 2011. On this day, the University of New Mexico has encountered with protesters about America’s part in the Afghanistan war and about everyone’s freedom in their country. This war came about because of the tragic incident that happened in America on September 11, 2001. As we drive down one of Albuquerque’s busiest streets, we see giant signs and posters saying “end the greed of America”. Although these protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement are stating their nonviolent opinion while being on the campus of UNM, authorities think otherwise and are turning this into a dispute.

What started off as a protest on the streets of New York City, became a wildfire as it spread across the nation. A movement known as Occupy Wall Street has protesters debating about freedom, bloodshed, and money that’s being put into the war. …this freedom has been largely taken from the people, and slowly made to trickle down, whenever we get angry. Money, it has been said, has taken over politics. In truth, we say, money has always been part of the capitalist political system. A system based on the existence of have and have nots, where inequality is inherent to the system, will inevitably lead to a situation where the haves find a way to rule, whether by the sword or by the dollar.

This group is not only speaking for themselves but also for other Americans who have the same opinion, and aggression towards our economic problems and warfare. Rasberry states in the article that a professor from the university was very motivated because she fears for her children’s future. “I have two sons who are in their 20s and I worry about what’s in store for them and their children,” she said. “It’s harder and harder for people to make the American dream work these days because more and more of the money is being concentrated in the work of fewer and fewer people.” (Warner as quoted by Rasberry) This is just one view of many parents that fear for their future, or in this case, their children’s future.

Protests are always followed by government officials and issues among the community. Although people may agree with this protest, the authorities had to get involved because the protesters couldn’t stay there without a permit. Around midnight on October 9, 2011, the university’s police department had to remove the protesters from the premises. Showing up with “plastic zip handcuffs and canine units,” they decided to pack their things and move away from their location.

Many of the administrators claim to have told the protesters to leave; they were not allowed to stay on campus, consulting to their policy. The protesters agreed to move from their current location, but they didn’t move far. In the university’s policy it states that, “(misuse or) unauthorized presence in or use of University premises, facilities or property, in violation of posted signs, when closed, or after normal operating hours” (Quintana). To abide by these rules, the protesters would only stay on the university’s estate during the day when operating hours take place. After those hours cease, they continue to protest on the adjacent street, Central Avenue, and sleep if necessary.

The police get involved even though protesters were being nonviolent, expressive, and demanding, these protesters try to prove their view across our community. Because they had to abide to UNM’s guidelines, they are forced to move to the sidewalk and still aren’t broken down. To this day, they are still trying to get their voices heard and make a difference for the future.