Crashing Sterotypes

Stereotypes exist because they must have a general basis in society. Without this overarching common knowledge, then why would people think particularly because of a certain race? It's tempting to just conclude an entire person's character based on the pigment of their skin, but its unpreventable. So then does believing a stereotype mean I'm a racist? Is that a fair statement to make?

I wonder how I'll feel after I ramble to myself on this for a little bit...

In the movie crash, Stereotype is portrayed in two ways. One that confirms the stereotype and the other that rejects it. With Mr. Ruiz, he is believed as a Latino gang banger and untrusted by all the clients that ask him to fix their lock. They call him a cheat, a liar, and an untrustworthy person, just because he is Hispanic. The movie however portrays himself as just the opposite. A hard working man providing for his beautiful family. A loving father willing to risk his life for his daughter and his entire family. Mr. Ruiz represents a pillar of honesty and trustworthiness, the exact opposite his stereotype calls forth.

Ludacris confirms the stereotype. He confirms that all blacks are poor and crime ridden. Robbing cars seems to be his career and carrying a gun and having armed robberies only confirms the fear that the white community has in the black people. He also confirmed that he didn't like coffee like how the waitress wouldn't fill his cup and then ran out on the tip. He seems to confirm the defense attorney's wife's fear of all black men.

Is she a racist? I dont know. I think personal experience makes up what you think of a generalization of a person. If you had ever been personally affected by a direct stereotype in life then more you would more then likely develop a generalization about that particular concept. ITs like if you've only eaten one type of vanilla ice cream, then you would probably generalize that all vanilla ice cream is good. if I had come into contact with alot of intelligent asian people, I would more then likely believe it, however since, I'm an asian myself and don't consider myself smart, I can't really believe in the stereotype. So being stereotypical in my eyes is not racist but rather just a personalized generalization of life. However, if you fail to acknowledge the complexity in life and close yourself from new ideas and concepts, then you will never really because enlightened and forever remain a bigot.