Top 10 Racial Stereotypes

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Political correctness aside, there are many colorful (no pun intended) assumptions about people in relation to their racial backgrounds. Stereotypes can be found for every race and ethnicity. In fact, quite aside from any racist or prejudicial purposes (for which they are often associated with); stereotypes commonly are simple truths usually relating to a few folks that are generalized and applied (often incorrectly) to a whole category of people. While racial stereotyping has at times proved to be hurtful and oppressive, taken in a lighter vein, they have also proved to be the source for a good deal of parody and humor (think about such movie classics as Airplane and Blazing Saddle). With this in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 most interesting racial stereotypes.

10. White People Don’t Have Rhythm

This is probably one of the most enduring stereotypes in western society and the fodder for innumerable jokes. While the haltingly jerky motions of many Caucasians would seem to be indicative of a lack of rhythmic abilities, this affliction could be more the result of listening to bad music than the absence of physical capabilities. In fact, I’ve seen Dirty Dancing! Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey managed to do their thing (I’m talking about the dancing) with style and grace (which is to say plenty of rhythm). Realistically, white folks from the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly to Madonna tend to put this particular stereotype in its proper perspective. Still, watching one’s uncle trying t

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9. African Americans Are Good At Basketball


Ok, it IS true that the largest percentage of professional basketball players currently in the NBA is African-American (well over 80%). And it is also true that the majority of the top college basketball programs also feature a healthy percentage of African Americans. However, this does not mean that every man (or woman) of color happens to be able to dribble and shoot a basketball better than their contemporaries of other races. For every Michael Jordan, there are 25 black guys who couldn’t hit the side of a very large barn with a basketball. Playing basketball is a s**** and not a racially imparted genetic marker. There are plenty of good basketball players of other races – both professionally and on collegiate level. Nevertheless, this particular stereotype is a good means of getting selected for a pick-up game at the local b-ball court if most of the available players aren’t black!

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8. All Asians Are Geniuses


There is a distinct impression that every Asian kid in the US school system is a scientific mastermind. And to be truthful, Asian kids – percentage wise – tend to do exceedingly well in academics when compared to white and black kids. However, Asians also represent a smaller percentage of the population and of classrooms, so those numbers can be misleading. Interestingly, there was a recent discussion in the media about this particular stereotype and one of the Asian participants put forth a very persuasive argument that Asians are just as uninformed as anyone else. One would suppose even positive stereotypes generate reasons to refute them. Well one thing is for certain – the Asian guys and gals are always the doctors and scientists in the movies, so that has to mean something!

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7. Hispanics Don’t Speak English Very Well or Not at All


This may be true if you are in Mexico or in parts of Central America (and some parts of America). But the same thing could be said of someone from Germany as well (not speaking English). Yes, many Hispanic immigrants that come to America may not speak English very well or at all. However, the vast majority of these individuals pick up the language very quickly. In comparison, how many native born, non-Hispanic Americans are bilingual? Not many. The root of this stereotype seems to be grounded in the fact that many Hispanic folks continue to converse in Spanish; perhaps giving English speakers the impression that this is the only language they speak. This is usually not the case. But for anyone that has been on the receiving end of a very angry Latina, you will realize that Hispanics know the English language very, very well indeed.

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6. Native Americans Love to Gamble


This is a fairly recent stereotype that has manifested as a result of the high percentage of casinos that can be found on Native American reservations around the country. The assumption is that because there are an increasingly large number of these houses of gaming on reservations, Native Americans love to gamble. Actually, the truth of the matter is that Native Americans love to make money (which is a truth that tends to cross all racial barriers). The casinos in question are usually owned by the tribe(s) of the reservation in which the establishment is located. Because of the various unique laws that work in favor of reservations, Native Americans have found the gaming industry to be very lucrative. The majority of the visitors to these reservation casinos are distinctly non-Native American; though the money that flows into the tribe’s coffers is definitely green.