Stereotypes

People always judge by one’s looks. It is the easiest, many times the only way, to make an opinion of someone. It is impossible to know who the exceptions to stereotype are, or who someone actually is unless one can somehow read each other’s thoughts and personalities instantaneously at will. As a skinny Asian teenager, I have always been stereotyped as an extremely studious, unathletic, instrument playing individual. I have always been skinny my whole life, always underestimated in sports or any social activities. People who do not and did not know me see me as this stereotype, and while I have come to accept this stereotype because of my looks, I do not generally like/accept it myself. I do not think anyone would think that someone like me would be a lazy, relatively social and athletic person who is anything but studious and shy. I can not show that to everyone and I understand that it is the stereotype that I portray, but it is really annoying to have people asking me questions about some homework, or even expect that I somehow know what every Asian person speaking their native language is saying. When I open my mouth, I think it surprises some people that I have no Asian accent, or that I even can socialize with people.

Stereotypes are created because they generally are the best generalization for a group of people, and this probably does hold true for the stereotype of the studious, shy Asian. Yet there are always exceptions to the rule, and being one of these exceptions, I feel I have to prove to everyone I know that I am not one of them. I do not feel like I have to show everyone that I am not part of the stereotypical group, as it is up to them to make their own opinions on me. It is their fault for misjudging me, for misjudging everyone who is lucky or unlucky enough to have this stereotype put upon them.