Fourth Week Blog Post

 Representation & Stereotypes

Positive representation of racial groups is incredibly important for youth; positive representation allows youth to envision themselves in a positive light. With positive representation comes self confidence and boosted self-esteem (Nagayama-Hall, 2018). One of the only things that comes to mind about positive representation of a Latina woman like myself, is that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC. Seeing her as a respectable political figure has been extremely empowering. It’s almost infuriating to think about the lack of representation I’ve experienced throughout my life, however, it is exciting to begin to see more people in positions of power that look similar to me.

Seeing representation of your racial-ethnic group in a stereotyped manner is degrading. Because mass media is consumed by most of the population, it has a real effect on how people are treated. People who do not have many personal experiences with these groups grow to believe what they see. These people may start to expect all Asians to be nerdy, African Americans to be dangerous, and Native Americans to be alcoholics. This puts tremendous stress on people of these minority groups.

One positive example of representation is that of Chloe Kim. Kim won an Olympic gold medal in the Olympics. Kim allows for the Asian American youth to see themselves in her shoes. Mattel even created a Chloe Kim doll with a realistic shape and facial features that is unfortunately not on the market (Nagayama-Hall, 2018). However, this doll represents great steps towards a positive representation for Asian Americans. One negative representation of Asian Americans is that of the new “Karate Kid” featuring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. An article by Leslie Bow explains how stereotypes are reinforced in the movie (2010). These stereotypes include self-disciple, snake-fighting, respecting elders, obeying authority, and being preternaturally focused and cruel (Bow, 2010). While stereotypes typically limit those in them, “self-disciple” is something that is seen in the “Karate Kid” and in Chloe Kim. However, many of the stereotypes of “Karate Kid” are harmful to the Asian American community. While Chloe Kim represents Asian Americans in a positive, realistic manner, the “Karate Kid” simply plays into overused and inaccurate stereotypes.



References

Bow, L. (2010, June 23). New "Karate kid" still contains insidious stereotypes. The Progressive Magazine. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://progressive.org/latest/new-karate-kid-still-contains-insidious-stereotypes/ 

Nagayama-Hall, G. C. (2018, March 27). Representation matters | psychology today. Psychology Today. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-in-the-intersection/201803/representation-matters 


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