lack a thug Muslim a terrorist Latino an
illegal immigrant
these are just a few stereotypes that
exist in our society whether we believe
in them or not we can’t deny that
they’re there our world is filled with
countless amounts of unique cultures
people have passed down traditions for
generations in order to keep these
cultures alive it’s what we humans have
done for centuries but there are times
when society just can’t let these
practices exist there are times when our
prejudices stop people from doing what
they love there are times when our
preconceptions forced people to hide key
parts of who they are there are times
when our judgments prevent people from
simply existing we don’t take the time
to understand or appreciate other
people’s cultures just because of one
bad example this happens all the time
for instance you’re watching the news a
story comes on about a black person
robbing a store well you now think your
black neighbor is going to rob your home
while you’re away you’re reading the
newspaper an article talks about a
recent Islamic terrorist attack on a
nearby city will you now think your
muslim teacher is going to threaten your
school you’re listening to the radio a
newscaster voice of their opinion on
illegal Latino immigrants trafficking
drugs well you now think your latino
coworker sells drugs on the side now
most of the time people aren’t swayed
this easily by things they hear about
but we can’t ignore the fact that people
form opinions on others just because of
their ethnic background and stories we
hear about those ethnic backgrounds we
assume we know a person’s entire life
story and everything they like to do
just because of one example in the news
and in fact it isn’t limits to the news
these descriptions are enforced in our
books our movies our television shows in
our magazines because we assume we don’t
get we don’t take the time to get to
know people for who they actually are we
define people by race and not their
personality and these practices are
extremely harmful to countless groups of
people because of the labels that exist
in our society people feel like they
have to hide these parts of their lives
they feel like they have to serve
their cultures just to be taken
seriously as a person because once they
tell people their ethnicity people stop
trying to get to know them right then
and there they saw someone like them on
TV once so automatically that means that
they’re the exact same as them right
too often than not people feel like they
have to suppress their traditions just
to be treated without discrimination
they have to take away defining parts of
their personality just to feel safe and
welcomed this is my ethnic background my
mom was born in South Korea and my dad
is of European descent so that makes me
half white and half Asian I have a foot
in two different cultures on two
different sides of the world now people
can usually tell I’m not fully white so
they’ll ask me about my race this is how
the conversation usually goes what are
you I’m half white and I’m half asian
what type of Asian I’m Korean wait are
you from North earth South Korea South
Korea because if I was born in North
Korea I wouldn’t be here right now
conversations like these can get
annoying at times so sometimes it’s just
easier for me to hide behind a shield
and ignore the fact that I’m Asian
sometimes it’s easier for me to repress
the Asian side of me just so people
don’t assume I live up to one of the
common misconceptions because once I
tell people my ethnicity I’m
automatically bombarded with countless
amounts of other questions they’ll ask
if I eat dog for dinner last night or if
I passed my driver’s test they’ll ask if
I can help them with their math homework
or if I’ve karate practice on the
weekends so you have to see sometimes
it’s just easier for me to ignore the
fact that I’m Asian but at the same time
I can’t just do that because in reality
I have a lot of pride for my Asian side
I love being Korean I love spending my
summers in California with the Korean
side of my family just learning more
about my culture I love it when we go to
Korean restaurants and my mom and uncles
start speaking in Korean so the waiters
just to order my favorite dishes I love
spending my Sundays down in the city at
the Asian market and buying normal food
there that would otherwise be
categorized as oriental in a normal
supermarket
I love these parts of my life so I can’t
just pretend that they don’t exist and
of course I love the other side of me as
well I love my pumpkin spice lattes and
leggings all those trips to make
after basketball games but that’s not
all that I am either I’m half white and
half Asian and I can’t be defined by a
single stereotype people should be
allowed to embrace and practice their
cultures as much as they want because no
matter who they are or what they believe
in their culture is ingrained in them
labels are always going to exist in our
society but it’s up to us on if we want
that to determine how we see people or
not
so again black a thug Muslim a terrorist
Latino an illegal immigrant it doesn’t
have to be like that we can eradicate
these notions if we take the time to get
to know one another we can change these
descriptions if we ignore the media and
what they present to us because we are
so much more than our race we have so
much more to provide than what a
stereotype could ever provide for us we
all have unique cultures and backgrounds
and it’s time for us to embrace it and
share that with one another rather than
to keep it hidden in the shadows I might
be a lot of things but I know one thing
for certain I am NOT a stereotype
[Applause]
illegal immigrant
these are just a few stereotypes that
exist in our society whether we believe
in them or not we can’t deny that
they’re there our world is filled with
countless amounts of unique cultures
people have passed down traditions for
generations in order to keep these
cultures alive it’s what we humans have
done for centuries but there are times
when society just can’t let these
practices exist there are times when our
prejudices stop people from doing what
they love there are times when our
preconceptions forced people to hide key
parts of who they are there are times
when our judgments prevent people from
simply existing we don’t take the time
to understand or appreciate other
people’s cultures just because of one
bad example this happens all the time
for instance you’re watching the news a
story comes on about a black person
robbing a store well you now think your
black neighbor is going to rob your home
while you’re away you’re reading the
newspaper an article talks about a
recent Islamic terrorist attack on a
nearby city will you now think your
muslim teacher is going to threaten your
school you’re listening to the radio a
newscaster voice of their opinion on
illegal Latino immigrants trafficking
drugs well you now think your latino
coworker sells drugs on the side now
most of the time people aren’t swayed
this easily by things they hear about
but we can’t ignore the fact that people
form opinions on others just because of
their ethnic background and stories we
hear about those ethnic backgrounds we
assume we know a person’s entire life
story and everything they like to do
just because of one example in the news
and in fact it isn’t limits to the news
these descriptions are enforced in our
books our movies our television shows in
our magazines because we assume we don’t
get we don’t take the time to get to
know people for who they actually are we
define people by race and not their
personality and these practices are
extremely harmful to countless groups of
people because of the labels that exist
in our society people feel like they
have to hide these parts of their lives
they feel like they have to serve
their cultures just to be taken
seriously as a person because once they
tell people their ethnicity people stop
trying to get to know them right then
and there they saw someone like them on
TV once so automatically that means that
they’re the exact same as them right
too often than not people feel like they
have to suppress their traditions just
to be treated without discrimination
they have to take away defining parts of
their personality just to feel safe and
welcomed this is my ethnic background my
mom was born in South Korea and my dad
is of European descent so that makes me
half white and half Asian I have a foot
in two different cultures on two
different sides of the world now people
can usually tell I’m not fully white so
they’ll ask me about my race this is how
the conversation usually goes what are
you I’m half white and I’m half asian
what type of Asian I’m Korean wait are
you from North earth South Korea South
Korea because if I was born in North
Korea I wouldn’t be here right now
conversations like these can get
annoying at times so sometimes it’s just
easier for me to hide behind a shield
and ignore the fact that I’m Asian
sometimes it’s easier for me to repress
the Asian side of me just so people
don’t assume I live up to one of the
common misconceptions because once I
tell people my ethnicity I’m
automatically bombarded with countless
amounts of other questions they’ll ask
if I eat dog for dinner last night or if
I passed my driver’s test they’ll ask if
I can help them with their math homework
or if I’ve karate practice on the
weekends so you have to see sometimes
it’s just easier for me to ignore the
fact that I’m Asian but at the same time
I can’t just do that because in reality
I have a lot of pride for my Asian side
I love being Korean I love spending my
summers in California with the Korean
side of my family just learning more
about my culture I love it when we go to
Korean restaurants and my mom and uncles
start speaking in Korean so the waiters
just to order my favorite dishes I love
spending my Sundays down in the city at
the Asian market and buying normal food
there that would otherwise be
categorized as oriental in a normal
supermarket
I love these parts of my life so I can’t
just pretend that they don’t exist and
of course I love the other side of me as
well I love my pumpkin spice lattes and
leggings all those trips to make
after basketball games but that’s not
all that I am either I’m half white and
half Asian and I can’t be defined by a
single stereotype people should be
allowed to embrace and practice their
cultures as much as they want because no
matter who they are or what they believe
in their culture is ingrained in them
labels are always going to exist in our
society but it’s up to us on if we want
that to determine how we see people or
not
so again black a thug Muslim a terrorist
Latino an illegal immigrant it doesn’t
have to be like that we can eradicate
these notions if we take the time to get
to know one another we can change these
descriptions if we ignore the media and
what they present to us because we are
so much more than our race we have so
much more to provide than what a
stereotype could ever provide for us we
all have unique cultures and backgrounds
and it’s time for us to embrace it and
share that with one another rather than
to keep it hidden in the shadows I might
be a lot of things but I know one thing
for certain I am NOT a stereotype
[Applause]
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