Ethnic Notions Reaction

As a minority, I was able to relate in a sense, to the African Americans that faced stereotypes during the Civil War antebellum period.  Being a minority, or more specifically Asian, I face many stereotypes both good and bad.  

One of the main stereotypes that people have towards Asians is associated with intelligence.  Many people have the false impression that all Asian people are born smart.  When I do well in school, many of my friends make a connection between my ethnicity and my intelligence.  They feel that since I am Asian, knowledge comes more naturally to me.  Though I find this stereotype to be a positive stereotype, I still find it to be ridiculous.  It always amazes me how people could think that my being Asian can have anything to do with knowledge.  I personally feel that I am able to succeed in school because I work at it.  I am positive, that if I did not do any of my homework or study at all, then my grades will drop severely.

Another stereotype that I am associated with is also related to intelligence.  The stereotype is the idea that I worry about my grades twice as much as a non-Asian individual would.  Many people feel that Asians scold themselves, or are scolded by parents when they receive below an A as a grade.  In my opinion, I find this to be one of the most thoughtless stereotypes out in society today.  The majority of the parents, including my parents, could care less if I got an A or B on my test.  What they care about is that I try my hardest at everything I do.  I could care less if I got a B as well.  If I tried my best and that was all I could do, I accept it.  I find this stereotype to be inaccurate because I find many non-Asian individuals who worry more than I do when it comes to grades.  This, in my mind, is a negative stereotype because it portrays all Asian people as nerds.