Student Reporting Labs series explores stereotypes

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• Hari Sreenivasan:

  American students today are more comfortable than ever celebrating their identities in terms of race, class, sexual orientation or gender. But stereotypes continue. So as the 2020 census and election loom, NewsHour's own Student Reporting Labs asked high schoolers across the country to share their thoughts about stereotypes. Their 'No Labels Attached' series explores the stereotypes that pervade the lives of young people and how they're affected by them.

• Carlos, student:

  A stereotype is something that you grow up believing about somebody's race, religion or stuff like that.

• Alex, student:

  It's just something that you assume about someone else without really knowing.

• Ariana, student:

  It creates a facade that's not at all me.

• Hari Sreenivasan:

  We'll explore gender stereotypes through the lens of sports.

• Oriandy, student:

  I had a bunch of kids in my classroom who were talking about how women couldn't do any fighting sports because they were too weak.

• Malik, student:

  Once or twice, they probably called me gay, or they probably would be like, 'Oh, he's so femboy.' Every male cheerleader goes through some sort of stereotype.

• Hari Sreenivasan:

  Then we'll turn to racial stereotypes that minority students say they encounter in school.

• Yeshua, student:

  Some people assume that I'm sometimes dumb. That's a common stereotype against Hispanic people.

• Rhema, student:

  Because of my race, people assume that I'm going to be loud and that I have grammar issues.

• Hari Sreenivasan:

  And we'll hear from students in the LGBTQ community.

• Lucas, student:

  People expect trans people to dress or express themselves very certain ways that are quite binding. We want to just live our lives like everyone else.

• Hari Sreenivasan:

  Student Reporting Labs' 'No Labels Attached' series both analyses preconceived notions students encounter, and offers hope for overcoming stereotypes.

• Rhema, student:

  No matter who's around me, who's watching, who's, who has something to say, it doesn't matter. I'm going to stay myself.