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We want your POV! That means articles, essays, poems, artwork...even just a quick rant. POV is anything that expresses your feelings, experiences, and opinions on an issue. So send us your POV and
it might get added to this page! Thanks to all of you who share your voices.
Do you feel that other people stereotype you (socially, ethnically, physically, etc.)?
As soon as people see my curly hair and my nose they automatically know I'm Jewish. I mean, it's true that I'm Jewish, but I hate the stereotype that all Jews have big noses, which is not true. I don't have a big nose!
"Freak" or "fag". Of course, I don't like it, but it can't be totally wrong because they believe what they want to.
I'm from Brooklyn, and in "BK" people don't usually wear Abercrombie and I do. People that don't know me stereotype me thinking that I don't listen to rap or watch BET (Black Entertainment Television), but I do! They think I like 'N Sync or something.
Yes, by the music you listen to, the people you hang out with, how many friends you have, how many girlfriends. I'll admit, I stereotype people like that because I am popular at my school, and I try not to, but it's
just too hard.
Well, at my school, everyone is judged by who they hang around with and how they look. Last year, I had a really hard time because I had a boyfriend that all the other girls liked. I mean, people hated me. I got rude notes and dead things in my locker. I was new to the place and no one even knew me, but all the girls hated me. And now that I don't have that boyfriend anymore, they all want to be my friend. But during the summer, my two best friends got into some trouble, adn they were divided from the rest of the school. I am still their friend, but then the others divide me also. I think that it's so wrong to be outcasted by who you hang out with.
Yes, and they are very wrong! They stereotype me by saying that I'm a "ho" and I have a baby! None of that is true, and I am still a virgin!
Yes, for all different reasons-- mainly because I quit school.
People tend to stereotype me by my body build. I actually have a large bone structure and that can sometimes make me look somewhat overweight. People automatically assume that I am a glutton or that I just sit around and am very out of shape. And frankly, that is a completely wrong assumption. I play lots of sports and am very careful about what I eat, and I don't snack too much. So all of the people who judge me get very annoying.
Yes, because they seem to think all black people do is sit on their butts (some do), but they make it seem like all black people are the same.
I think they stereotype me because they think I'm depressed, and called me "the depressed one". It's not totally wrong, because I am depressed, but I'm doing alot better now.
People think that just because I am a skinny blonde cheerleader that I am a stupid girl. It really isn't true, because I have almost finished my first year of college by taking AP classes that count as college credits even thought I am just a junior in high school. I know that I am stupid at times and am ditzy at times but everyone is, and it has nothing to do with my blonde hair or my being a cheerleader.
I'm 13 and I'm Latina, and people keep calling me names and won't let me hang out with them. They say that I should go back to where I come from and that I don't belong here.
Stereotypes are always hurting somebody. In my case, I am stereotyped as being a band geek. I am a hardcore musician and one day I will be making more money than all these others who cut me down for my love of music :o)
Yes, there are a lot of social stereotypes. People have stereotyped me with the "smart" people because I studied. People have stereotyped me as a "skater/punk" because of the clothes I wear. They were wrong, though, because I don't believe in stereotypes. If you dress a certain way on purpose, you do it so people will stereotype you, and that's fake.
People think I am conceited, but I'm not, and they don't like me when they first meet me.
Stereotyping anyone is just plain wrong!
I am African-American. I'll walk to the park and I'll be walking with my friends, and there will be a group and they'll start talking, and I'll catch only some words, and they'll be calling us names, and when I say something in their language they'll act all surprised.
In my opinion, myself and my fellow classmates are all stereotyped. I wouldn't say it's just me, but I feel people stereotype me for the way I dress, things I've been through, and the way I look. Like, sometimes if I want to wear tight clothing, people say I'm a slut, or if I even mention going through rehab, parents may not let their child hang out with me. And sometimes, if someone knows I am Italian, Jamaican, and Latino, they don't want anything to do with me. Hey, I'd say, I'm just me, and you're just you!
People, mostly popular girls, judge me because of my love of softball. They see me as trying to steal their boyfriends because I'm friend with them. They see me as a threat to them because I'm Mexican and I'm friends with guys.
It's fun to play around with my style and they way I look. We all say that we don't judge people by the way they look, but how true is that?
I TRY not to judge people by the way they look, but I can't help it, I
swear, even if I didn't want to judge people there'd be that small part of me that would. I'm Asian, but I'm not very, I guess I could say, "cultured". I've never been a victim of racism, and people around me make racist jokes towards Asians in front of my face because they forget that I'm Asian. It doesn't bother me, but it's kinda funny. But if I decide to have a fun day and dress up all in black, dark makeup and stuff, people look at me weird. It's only because they aren't used to seeing that. The next day, I could be walking around in a designer skirt or something, and no one would even glance twice. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that people judge people no matter what, and I hate to admit it but I do it too. But for me, the biggest sterotype has to be the "teenager" sterotype. Give me a break! Sure, teenagers tend to be moody and stuff but so are adults. It's funny how older people refer to us as "oh those teenagers...blah blah blah". YOU
WERE A TEENAGER ONCE BEFORE WEREN'T YOU? I think sterotypes are wrong, but sometimes people can't help but think things.
Well, I had some pretty bad things happen to me in the last year. I have been in and out of jail 3 times, and was kicked out of school
and on and off the streets. Also, doing all drugs except for intravenous drugs. I have tried everything. After getting out of jail on
August 20, 2001, I have changed alot! I have been trying to get a job, but no one seems to want to give me a job because they think that I am a bad person, and that I will
steal from them or something. I haven't been able to go back to school. I feel very stereotyped by society and it's really hurtful.
The stereotype I get is totally wrong. I am not a "ho".
I'm stereotyped as a "young kid who doesn't know anything". They are wrong! I have been through more crap in my life than a 26-year-old has.
Since I am an African (Kenyan), alot of people assume that we are not civilized. Maybe it's just the image they get from the media or whatever. Therefore, they view you as some sort of person who isn't intelligent nor has anything to contribute to society. This stereotype doesn't fit me because it isn't true. Now, I know that Africa was once not "civilized" in the level that we are in today but that doesn't give
people a reason to brand Africans as stupid. Next time you see an African, talk to the person for a few mintues and see what life for them is like, because you will be surprised at how much you learn from their place of origin, or even about them, and you will be able to make
friends for life.
What's the most challenging thing you've had to deal with in life so far? I grew up with a birth defect known as spina bifida, a disability that affects my sense of balance, causing me to walk with a limp. Not only does it affect the function of the legs, but it also has an impact on the kidneys, causing them to deteriorate. The disability has its ups and downs. As a young child, I can remember the way other children would look at me and stare because of the way I walked. There were many times taht my schoolmates would laugh at me and call me names simply because of their lack of understanding of why I was a little different. Now that I'm older, I have noticed that the stares and names have begun to fade, and judgements that once were negative have begun to turn towards acceptance. Now I look beyond what I can't do and focus on what I CAN. I have learned that limitations open doors that have been closed, showing other ways to meet our needs. I have always looked at life as a challenge, grasping each obstacle with open arms. People often feel sorry for those who were born with some type of disability. But their compassion is misplaced. I may not be able to run as fast or perform certain tasks, but my disability gives me a better look at life and all that's around me. I want to be seen not as a disability but as a person who has, and will continue to, bloom. So I decided to become an advocate on behalf of disabled Americans, to fight for our rights that for so long have been ignored.
Carry me out to the ocean, --Robert, Oswego, NY
I have to deal with the emotional challenges of making new friends every four years because my father is in the Air Force.
Dealing with my parents' divorce when I was very young.
Realizing that no matter how hard you try to do something, there are no guarantees in life. You can't expect things to be handed to you, but at the same time, even if you work hard, you might not get what you want.
When I was 6 years old, my father died. When I was 12 I moved out of my neighborhood that I loved, even though it wasn't safe.
Seven days before my birthday, my house went up in flames. I lost all I owned and so did my family.
When my best friends got murdered.
Overcoming drug addiction was really hard for me. Not as hard as most, because I was in jail, but because the withdrawals were horrible. I didn't know what was happening to me and didn't know when it was going to stop.
I am helping to raise a little girl whose mother isn't really here for her.
Letting my mom know that I was sexually active.
Dealing with my mother being a severe bi-polar, then when I turned sixteen realizing and getting diagnosed with the fact that I am also, because it is extremely hereditary.
I just lost my youth pastor in a car accident, and he was like a dad to me. My dad has never really been there for me and my Pastor Rich was. He was my hero and he always will be!
Emotionally, my biggest challenge was having an abortion.
In one year I had about 5 people die that were very close to me.
The biggest challange I had to deal with was the passing of my father. I couldn't get over it and it was so hard to become me again.
I had back surgery for scoliosis when I was 12. All my grandparents have died. But the most heart-wrenching was when my friend ran away from home and came to my house. We found out
her parents are in a cult and so she lived with my sister and moved around to different places, and all of that was just, ugh.
The biggest challenge that I have had to face has been both mental and physical, and not to mention family-related. It is surprising how these things are connected to each other. Growing up isn't the easiest thing and sometimes parents aren't willing to see where we are coming from
and vice versa. One way for me to deal with all of this was meditating. Now, I don't necessarily mean sitting cross-legged on a mat with my eyes closed or anything, I just took time to myself, like a walk around a park or watching the sunset. Those little things in life. Sometimes it's easier just to go with the flow where our parents are concerened because it's really hard to win an argument when your parents are
involved. It's too bad, 'cause in a lifetime you only get one of each parent. Indulging or participating in things you love to do can improve your spiritual, mental and physical health. For me, being a Christian, I try to find my answer in the Bible and it's just amazing.
My mother had a severe case of Multiple Sclerosis. She need round-the-clock care, which was very mentally and emotionally exhausting for my family. Now my Mom lives in a nursing home where she gets the care my family can no longer provide.
The biggest challenge in my life is keeping faith.
I don't think I have really dealt with any major problems (I am lucky!). In junior high and high school I deal with depression. It's not bi-polar or anything serious, just the most common kind.
Definitely the passing away of my brother has been the biggest one, but the passing away of two of my grandfathers was pretty rough for me as well.
The biggest challenge I've faced so far would have to be my drug addiction. Going through my active addiction, going through rehab, admitting I am an addict and that I have the disease of an addict, then finally leaving rehab on my birthday, and from then on trying to live my life without the use of drugs. Every day I am faced with a challenge to not use drugs, especially being 16 and in high school. Luckily, I have almost 5 months sober, and every one of those days, I've thanked God for giving me the power and the strength not to pick up and use that drug, no matter what it is, and it truly is a struggling battle for me.
The biggest challenge for me was my dad being stationed in Germany. I have been in an Army family all my life, and never lived anywhere but Texas. When I got here, I was the outcast, until I started to tell people how I felt and how I didn't like not being "allowed" to talk to whoever I wanted to.
The biggest challenge I have dealt with is the aftermath of ecstasy. I can't tell you how it messed me up. You take it once and you think it will never happen again until you end up doing it over and over and over. It's like having your favorite food for 25 bucks. It's scary. Looking at myself in the mirror now, I have to face myself.
My biggest challenge so far has been trying to cope on my own without one of my best friends. For a year I spent almost every second of every day with my best friend. We would always have sleepovers and everthing. He was my other half, and he still is. I see him maybe once or twice a year and even when we get back together it's like things are back to the way they were in the beginning. It's really cool. He lives about an hour drive from my house and it's long distance to call. The first 6 months away from him were really hard for me because I felt
completely lost. I cared about him more than anything in the world
and he cared about me too. Unfortunately, because of the long distance
things started to fall apart. I told him that we never know what's for the future, and hopefully we could meet up again. But now I have to learn to live without my soulmate with me all the time. It's really been a "searching for myself" time.
My parents' divorce and my miscarriage.
Putting my life back together after I screwed so much up. It was difficult...I've been through alot, almost everything, and those things ruined my life. I'm a dropout from high school and I want to go to college. Now I have to work even harder to accomplish that, so I stay in school.
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