Laserfiche WebLink
El�se Kendall <br />Honorable Mentiam <br />RA.MS — Grade 7 <br />Mr. Lauinger <br />H�.n1an Ri hts Essa <br />g � <br />Stereatyping, prejudice, and discrimination are three things that rnany people �;et <br />mixed up although t�iey are each very different. These are actions and beliefs that can <br />only be learned. We weren't boz�r� k�aowing haw to stereatype, to be prejudice or even to <br />discri�ninate against people. <br />�tereotyping is when you have a general�zec� belief or opinion about something. <br />�tezeotyping is something so commQn people use it everyday withc�ut Even recQgnizing <br />zt. You may not even be aware that yo� cauld be teaching �omeone to stereotype. <br />This year I met a girl that didn't like me because she ihou�;ht I was a Rep�ablican. <br />I don't thirik it' � fair for h�r to judge me on my political beliefs at age 12. �hen I later <br />tald her my awza political belief�, we became friends. WouId I still be her friend if I did <br />believe in Republican ideas? Wcsuld I be any differenf of a persan? <br />For the last two years, � had the oppornuzity to go ta a camp called Project <br />Commc�n Grounc�s. We teamed up with an iraner city school in St. Paul. Out goal was ta <br />create a cozz�mon ground �hat zs based on our sirnilarities not dif%rences. We watched a <br />�novie where they wonld show t�s a pzcture of a person and we had to rate thezn on how <br />friendly they lnokad. T�en they told us a liitle about t�em� and we rated tliem again. I <br />didn't know that I stereotyped people until that moment. If � had never watched that <br />movie ii I would know that I was judgiz�g people so muc� on their appearance. I also <br />Ieacned that stereotyping can come�from anywhere at home, school, chureh, and media. <br />Anyone can stereoiype, even teachers. <br />A lot of people especially in midrlle and high school #hit�k that a11 African- <br />Americaz� and Hispanie people si�ould be "ghetto". T`hey should always wear baggy <br />clothes and not realIy care about theiz� grades, speak in slang. T knaw a lot af people that <br />act "gl�ettd' i��ciuding whztes. I alsa l�ow a lo� o�African-Ameriean and Hispanic <br />�eople that aren't "g�etto". Because they have a cez-taz:n skin color doe��'t mean ihat <br />they should atztomafiically be called tha#. You choose your own actions and your awn <br />appearance and how ytiu c�oose to Iive your li£e should not be judged by anyane else. <br />Prejudice is when someone ma�es a judgment about anothe�r person without <br />knowing anytl�ing abaut tliem. When the eighth graders waik through my lockers they'll <br />call us "seveys". I am in seventh grade but they 1�o�v nathing else abaut us and not Iike <br />we walk through their lockers and cali them "eighties". T�ey're �udging us on the fact <br />that we'z°e a year younger than them. They are treating rne as i� I am not as smart as them <br />or as "cool". They have no ide�. that � azn a person that likes music, likes art a�ad �iave <br />lots of friends. <br />Discrizz�ination is samething that people think of as only against a certaian race. <br />There are people that say they won't discriminate people because of ti�eir skin but then <br />