There are so many things that are challenging in the expat life: culture shock, homesickness, language barriers, clothes don't fit, lack of a good community. But the one thing that I hate, the gut wrenching, fire evoking, seeing red hate (and deal with far too often) is stereotyping. Prejudice, discrimination, whatever. It dips it's toes into all pools of mistrust and hate.
Being from a southern state in the US, I have battled against my share of stereotypes.
"Southerners are ignorant and uneducated. They're all flaming racists too."
Blood boiling I tell you.
If I believed every stereotype I'd ever heard then I would believe all Yankees hate all Southerners (we've already heard about them), Irish are drunks, Germans are Nazis, Australians are partiers and druggies, Afrikaners are racist, Americans are fat, loud, and arrogant, Zulus are violent, Mexicans are dirty, Asians are good at math, Brits are tea drinking snobs, Native Americans are drunk and lazy. The list could fill pages, books, and then libraries. Stereotyping actually causes my heart to ache with anger first and then grief. I know it's inevitable. It will happen. I know that wherever I go I will face ever increasing numbers of stereotypes, and be automatically judged just because of my nationality. The stereotypes are lined up against me. Battles will be fought to prove them inaccurate, and there will be moments of shame when they are proven to be true.
Imagine what our world would be like if we had never heard any of these stereotypes. We went in meeting new people with no preconceived notions or thoughts. A bit more peaceful I believe.
However, just because I know discrimination exists, always has and maybe always will, doesn't mean I won't do anything to fight in hopes of it's defeat. Ask any good friend of mine and they'll tell you that I'm judgmental. I judge people on their actions and their character. That's how I want to be evaluated, my character, and not by my accent or where I come from. I want to raise my children to believe in the goodness of people and the beauty of differences, to not fear what they don't understand. My hope for the future is strong, and it's strong because I believe it can be changed. It makes me unbelievably angry when Americans (my own people!) say, "oh yeah, I thought that all Southerners were really ignorant and racist." But few things make me feel as good as when they say, "until I met you."
So, when I tell people I'm from the States and their face sets as they start to politely put me in box of stereotypes and set notions, I can't wait to shatter it all.
And just because I never want to be too serious on such a weighty subject... enjoy.
People are much deeper than stereotypes. That's the first place our minds go. Then you get to know them and you hear their stories, and you say, 'I'd have never guessed.'
~Carson Kressley
I completely agree with this:
ReplyDeletePeople are much deeper than stereotypes. That's the first place our minds go. Then you get to know them and you hear their stories, and you say, 'I'd have never guessed.'
~Carson Kressley