Judging an entire group of people by viewing them through a particular lens may significantly distort how the individuals are perceived. Stereotypes are extremely common and refer to almost every group of individuals. Asians are also frequently marginalized through misrepresentation. A common stereotype about Asians is high academic standards imposed by strict parents and fulfilled by intellectually advanced children. While this might seem like a rather beneficial misconception, it may be damaging for some people. Those who are perceived as ones who have to achieve high academic success but do not have the means to do it can see themselves as unworthy or less valuable. This can be a damaging practice that can harm one’s self-esteem and motivation. Another stereotype, according to researchers, is that Asian people are submissive (Bu and Borgida 19). It can be harmful if a person feels like everyone sees them as vulnerable and submissive. This may cause the individual to subconsciously acquire all these traits just because this is what is expected by society. Moreover, there is the risk of others perceiving someone as a victim solely because of the stereotype.
The same research highlights the stereotype of Asians being self-centered. It has been found that society believes that Asian people isolate themselves from the rest of the population. In that case, there is a big chance that this isolation will advance because no one wants to form a connection with someone viewed as self-centered. Authors refer to stereotypes as portrayals of differences (Bordalo et al. 1753). However, the fact that people look for differences instead of a multitude of similarities that exist between all people creates such an environment where labels and misrepresentations become more visible than personalities and individualities.
Works Cited
Bordalo, Pedro, et al. “Stereotypes*.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 131, no. 4, 2016, pp. 1753–1794., Web.
Bu, Wen, and Eugene Borgida. “A Four-Dimensional Model of Asian American Stereotypes.” Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2020, pp. 1-22., Web.