Response 7

Response 7

We live in a world today where people base their opinions form stereotypes and other preconceive notions they have. I am guilty of this myself. Being a young African American and an African in this day and age I deal with stereotypes every day. minor things like every time I enter an establishment I get watched a little closer than the other customers or they come up to me one after another asking me if I need help. I can tell the difference between when some is doing their job and when their keeping a close eye on someone. Major things like racial profiling by the cops and getting pulled over because I’m in the wrong neighborhood. A cop really asked me why am I in his town I said I’m taking a shortcut he says is there no other roads to make a shortcut that’s when I stop talking. It also doesn’t help that most African American youth are looked at as criminals by society. Most stereotypes of Africans are that we are dirty, live in huts, wear no clothes and chase animals.   
A most recent experience that I encountered dealing with race was a couple of weeks ago when I went to occupy Wall Street. It was me and three other guys we were all African American. We were sitting on the train ready to get off on the next stop when a big Italian family walked on the train. It was twelve of them a father, a mother, four adult girls with their husbands, and a two babies. I was sitting down not paying them any mind and the mother decided to sit next to me with her husband standing in front of her. Time goes by and the husband leans over to the wife and mumbles to her is he bothering you and she says no I'm fine. It’s pretty sad that people are still prejudice in 2011. I immediately realized why he asked her that I didn't take it personal because he doesn't know me. I just accepted it because that's what I would have done in the same situation. Things like this happen on a daily basis to a lot of people which usually causes a negative reaction out of them.  I’m not going to lie if a group of African American kids would have came on the train I would have been very nervous based on the fact that it Newark kids. With the knowledge I obtained in this class I think the guy asked his wife that question because he is probably in a higher social class than me and he doesn’t associate with people like me on a daily basis. The fact that most African Americans male young and old are in prison and the young ones in the streets are getting into crime he probably assumed that I was among them.