<p>Munchkin, Won’t you rather be in a world where people don’t treat you in a certain way because of your skin color or your surname?</p>
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<p>Of course I do ! But the reality of my life is that idiots would shout at my s walking in one of one toniest(Sheridan Rd in Winnetka) street of Chicago to “Go home !” or that my neighbors, hopefully well meaning, keeping asking questions like "No, I mean where do you REALLY come from ", when the answer to their question "Where are you from ? " was, somewhere right here. Right now, in this great city I am living in, supposedly tolerant, my h can’t indulge in his favorite hobby of fishing because Asians hobby fishing were beaten up. </p>
<p>I don’t have answers, but I like communication, and the first step is to hear others and try to see it from their point of view. I also think humor is great.</p>
<p>Very Happy, post 278, thanks for the stats. But remember also that just cause someone attends college, or graduates from college, still doesn’t mean they took calculus. At the school D1 just graduated from calculus is only rqd for math, science and engrg majors. Business majors must take Business Calculus, but that is different enuf that if you were to switch to being say a biology major, it wouldn’t count and you would have to take “real” calculus. All that’s rqd for the other majors is college algebra and trig, and the vast majority of the kids don’t go beyond what’s rqd. (obiously some do, but most don’t)</p>
<p>Have any of you read the graphic novel “American Chinese” ?</p>
<p>If you read Huguenot’s post awhile back, that was enlightening.</p>
<p>Stereotype from dictionary.com.</p>
<p>A conventional, formulaic and oversimplified conception, opinion or image.</p>
<p>A simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group.</p>
<p>A generalization usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive that is used to describe or distinguish a group.</p>
<p>A too simple and therefore distorted image of a group, such as “football players are stupid” or “the English are a cold and unfriendly people.” </p>
<p>Note the definitions mention simplified, standardized, generalized, exaggerated, oversimplified, distorted, too simple. They do not mention being perceived by the majority as positive or negative. That is beside the point. I am actually shocked that some people here are defending the use of stereotypes and even defending laughing at them. How is it that intelligent people can think this way? I was always taught not to generalize. You really have to twist your brain into a pretzel shape to defend this.</p>
<p>The original post was funny whether any one was Asian or not.</p>
<p>Go back and read the first post.</p>
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<p>Who is the author ?</p>
<p>“The original post was funny whether any one was Asian or not.”</p>
<p>The entire point of the OP’s story was that they were “Asian.” Not funny, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Ilsa Belter:</p>
<p>Hmmmn… well there are positive and negative stereotypes. Their usage may not have been included in the dictionary definition but my reasonably intelligent pretzel-shaped brain interprets acceptable usage of them differently than you. </p>
<p>I have done significant genealogy research on my Irish ancestry. The reason I started my research is because I watched the movie “Gangs of New York” and was appalled at the horrible stereotypes portrayed in the movie. Both of my parents and all of my ancestors are Irish Catholic New York so this movie was shocking to me. There were so many terrible Irish stereotypes in this movie! My parents were both very educated and my father was a college professor. I have always had strong Irish ethnic pride and had bright red hair (lots of negative stereotypes here!) and freckles. I’m very glad I saw the movie (in 2003) because I was so appalled at the movie that I needed to know more about my ancestry and now I have a wonderful hobby - genealogy - and lots of Irish pride! </p>
<p>I’m sure that the purpose of the OP was not to offend but to rather report her observation and her honest reaction to the observation. I just didn’t interpret it as mean or especially disrespectful. Of course stereotypes oversimplify groups and can be quite offensive but some are not. I’m not a big fan of leprechauns and fairies nor the assumption that all Irish are heavy drinkers. These are stereotypes. I have no problem with the stereotype that the Irish are poetic and great writers…and have the “Gift of Eloquence” (or the Gift of the Gab). As for finding humor… I’ve always told my children that part of being of Irish descent was to root for the underdog and to find humor on a gray day.</p>
<p>In principle I understand your general message that usage of stereotypes can be very hurtful and should not be tolerated. I just don’t happen to agree that all stereotypes are equally damaging and some, I think, are just fun and inspire ethnic pride! As for the Irish drunk – not fun…the Irish Poet ---- lots of fun! I’ll add that my children are science/math types…and did not especially inherit the Gift of Eloquence…nor did I, I suppose…but nonetheless I do see different acceptance levels of positive and negative stereotypes.</p>
<p>“The entire point of the OP’s story was that they were “Asian.” Not funny, in my opinion”</p>
<p>You know what? A lot of people have had fun with and learned from this thread. If you haven’t gained anything, then perhaps it isn’t the thread for you. There’s no need to participate in every thread or to insult people who have different views, experiences or senses of humor.</p>
<p>“'ll add that my children are science/math types…and did not especially inherit the Gift of Eloquence…nor did I, I suppose…”</p>
<p>I beg to differ. I think you are very eloquent.</p>
<p>“I actually have a very finely tuned sense of humor, as a matter of fact. That does not ipso facto mean I must find everything put in front of me funny. Thought you were here to learn about different viewpoints?”</p>
<p>I’m not here to be insulted and I have seen no evidence of your sense of humor, just your sense of grievance which is clearly misplaced. You are not required to find everything funny, but neither are you the arbiter of what others might find funny or meaningful.</p>
<p>zoosermom, we have very different views. We have very different senses of humor. So be it.</p>
<p>Sorry I deleted my previous post. Point is I have not insulted you one bit. I have “contributed to the discussion.” You have “learned” from other posts, perhaps you can learn from mine a bit? Or not.</p>
<p>Yes that’s right and I have no intention of judging what you find funny or meaningful. Nor your judgment.</p>
<p>" That is beside the point. I am actually shocked that some people here are defending the use of stereotypes and even defending laughing at them. How is it that intelligent people can think this way? I was always taught not to generalize. You really have to twist your brain into a pretzel shape to defend this."</p>
<p>You would have to twist your brain into a pretzel to think this wasn’t an insult.</p>
<p>Zoosermom:</p>
<p>Well, I’ve enjoyed the discussion here and have learned from reading different perspectives. We all see the world through different filters and hopefully can learn something even when we can just agree to disagree!</p>
<p>Advice, this is a topic of particular interest to me since I don’t have any ethnicity. We’re a Wonder Bread-bland family, so the ethnic pride and history is just fascinating. I’m a little envious, too, since I don’t have a group with which to identify myself.</p>
<p>Zoosermom — You might enjoy genealogy research. I always knew that I was of Irish descent but have become even more Irish since exploring my roots! My last ancestor that came to the USA was in 1880 but the 100% Irish descent was passed along because everyone married someone of similar backgrounds. My parents were born in the 1920s and the world was just not as mobile as it is now so people were not as likely to move outside of their Ethnic and/or Religious group. My generation is more diverse and my children and their cousins are not all of 100% Irish descent. </p>
<p>Genealogy is a wonderful hobby! There are ancestors out there for you who are undoubtedly screaming from their graves waiting for you to listen to their stories! It’s amazing what’s out there and digitalized online…especially for me as my family is from New York and there are so many documents and publications from New York that have been preserved and made available. </p>
<p>Genealogy research is very addictive, however, and can consume much time…Also by it’s very nature for each layer you peel back you uncover double the layers! I’ve hit many brick walls in my research and haven’t found too many new things lately. </p>
<p>Anyway…again…I’ve enjoyed this topic!</p>
<p>^^ I have fallen in love in a field with a somewhat related philosophy – historical linguistics. 
And we do reconstruct protolanguages from philological documents …</p>
<p>“^^ I have fallen in love in a field with a somewhat related philosophy – historical linguistics. And we do reconstruct protolanguages from philological documents …”</p>
<p>I would love to hear more about that If you’re ever inclined to share, please start a thread!</p>
<p>AdvicePlease, a relative did a genealogy of one side of the family and it turns out that among that branch were two brothers who fought against each other in the Civil War. I live in NYC, where people are Italian, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, etc. but my family is just plain old Wonder Bread. Of course, there’s a place for that too.</p>