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Racial Stereotypes: A Literature Review

Isaac McClure
Hampton University

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Abstract
Racial stereotypes are beliefs generalized over a group belonging to a particular race. Stereotypes
are placed on people of all backgrounds, positive or negative. The idea of profiling people based
off of ones race has created and influenced many problems all over the world, especially for
minorities in America. Many people have concluded that stereotyping segregates one another to
develop more problems. This literature review will inform the readers how racial stereotyping
develops and the effects it brings as well. Surveys and passages from numerous scholarly
journals will aid in developing this review on racial stereotypes.

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Racial Stereotypes: A Literature Review
Racial stereotyping has been prevalent throughout the world for a long period of time. In
America, stereotyping has taken a larger toll on minorities. Although stereotypes can be either
positive or negative, they historically have had a malignant effect on the characterization of
Blacks, Latinos, Asian Americansbecause they otherize them as being inferior in
comparisons to Whites (Nunally 253). Due to past events, minorities have already been put at a
disadvantage in most aspects of life. Racial stereotyping has helped maintain certain
disadvantages to this day. Recently, campaigns and events like Black Lives Matter have been
launched to expose and create awareness for the immoral acts performed on minorities, primarily
African Americans. Because of the attention the media has given to the immoral acts, many
people tend to think that racial stereotyping only affects African-Americans and this is not true.
Mainly people are aware of the broad concept of racial stereotyping, but do not know of
the background or effects stereotypes produce. Many times, people do not even realize that they
are stereotyping due to how carelessly they use their words. In order to increase awareness and
understanding of the importance of racial stereotyping, four questions must be addressed:
1. Is racial stereotyping/bias innate or adopted?
2. Would diminishing racial stereotypes solve the issue of hate crimes?
3. Should racial stereotyping be encouraged (under certain circumstances) to keep diversity
and boundaries between races for safety purposes?
4. Should hate crimes be more consequential, less than, or equal to greed crimes?
With knowledge of backgrounds and effects of racial stereotypes, one can make better
judgements of their word choices towards an opposing race. Racial stereotyping should be
eliminated or diminished to help secure the safety and unity of America.
Is Racial Stereotyping/Bias innate or adopted over time?

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The question of whether people are born with bias has always been relevant when
discussing racial stereotypes. People tend to justify their prejudice actions by claiming that they
were born this way. In reality, this is not true. Stereotyping and bias towards a group of people is
not innate in nature. According to Angela M. Guidetta, stereotyping originated with the
beginning of the slave trade. Since Africans were being brought over from their motherland to
work, Europeans began to view them as being nothing more than tools for labor. Throughout
this countrys history, numerous nomenclatures have been derived to distinguish between varying
amounts of black and white ancestry. Census takers in 1870 were required to differentiate
between mulattos and negroes, and they were given very specific definitions of mulattos
(Guidetta 322). Due to the censuses taken, people began to categorize people of different origins
even more. In addition to this fact, behaviors and actions performed by these groups would
contribute to an overall perspective on that specific group.
People form bias over time through their environments and surroundings. This is very
obvious when comparing people from the rural South to an urban New Yorker, for example. This
isnt the case just with people, but with food, clothes, and many other things as well. As an
individual grows accustomed to a routine-style of living growing up, one is bound to view
anything different with an already developed mindset. This allows bias and stereotyping to take
place. Personally, coming to college and meeting people from around the country for the first
time was very strange. Through my hometown environment and media, I viewed people from
different areas with stereotypes I had learned. Racial stereotyping being innate has not been
proven and is adopted over time depending on ones surroundings and influences.
Would diminishing racial stereotypes solve the issue of hate crimes?

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Hate crimes have been prevalent for a long period of time. Generically, hate crime is
meant to distinguish criminal conduct motivated by prejudices from criminal conduct motivated
by lust, jealousy, greed, politics, and so forth (Jacobs 2). Many crimes have recently taken place
in response to police violence. The Black Lives Matter campaign has thrived in the AfricanAmerican community both negatively and positively to prevent injustice from law enforcement.
This has increased awareness of racial stereotyping but does not seem to have reduced hate
crimes as much. The issue of hate crimes may never be solved completely since it has been
around for such a long period of time, but this pressing issue could be reduced. Others deny
their prejudices, sometimes because they do not recognize them and sometimes because they are
ashamed of them. Prejudice can be subconscious as well as conscious (Jacobs 4). In order to
reduce these stereotypes and reduce hate crimes, it is important that this problem is brought to
peoples attention. Although racial stereotypes are ignored and unrecognized, they are clearly

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present as seen through the amount of hate crimes today.

Should racial stereotyping be encouraged (under certain circumstances) to keep diversity

and boundaries between races for safety purposes?
Although stereotypes are usually seen as a negative factor, stereotypes could also bring
positive attributes to society. Stereotypes within a specific racial group helps bring individuals
closer. Surveys have been completed for multiple ethnicities to observe how each group views
their own people. Black Americans mostly appear to think about competency and
trustworthiness in terms of what they feel is most attributable to their own racial group
members (Nunally 257). Studies show that people generally stereotype their own people

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positively. This creates unity within racial groups based off of personal assumptions, but doesnt
solve the issue of lack of unification between Americans.
Stereotypes on other racial groups have proven more negative than positive. Being that
Black Americans in BASTS stereotype these groups as being less honest and less trustworthy,
then we may expectthat these Black Americans will be less likely to engage in social and
political relationships with Whites especially (Nunally 261). This affects relationships in the
work world and socially. The general negative views keep people apart. This could in some ways
prevent interracial crimes and tension, but at the same time could hinder those from creating a
positive change within the American community. Racial stereotyping should not be encouraged
in order to create unity and bring change to the world.
Should hate crimes be more consequential, less than, or equal to greed crimes?
The question for punishment for hate crimes has been around and is still in debate today.
Hate crimes should be more consequential than greed crimes. Greed crimes, crimes motivated
for personal gain (money, clothes, food, etc.), are most of the time not as effective as hate crimes.
In reality, greed crimes can create and influence racial stereotypes. Finally, the South African
Human Rights Commission (2003) is currently advocating for the introduction of hate crime
legislation to send out a clear message that racist ideas, racist activities, and racist harassment
and violence are a threat to the cohesion and stability of the new South Africa as a multi-racial
and pluralist society (Gadd 145). The issue of hate crimes has increased globally and has been
taken more serious over the past couple of decades. People need to realize that hate crimes
influence the stability of their environment more than greed crimes. Therefore, hate crimes
should always be more consequential than greed crimes to help enforce the idea of getting rid of
hate crimes and ultimately reducing the amount of racial stereotyping.

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Conclusion
Racial stereotypes have left a major influence on society. Many often are not aware of the
effects that these stereotypes may bring, but it is important to know of the origins and factors
influencing stereotyping and prejudice actions. With increased knowledge on this pressing issue,
one takes a step closer at resolving the current social issues, such as hate crimes. In order to
contribute to the unification of America, it is important to refrain from using stereotypes and
assumed judgments of different ethnic and racial groups of people. If people could successfully
do that, they will see a significant change throughout their communities.

References
Gadd, David. Hate and Bias Crime: A Reader. 37 Vol. Australian Academic Press Pty. Ltd, 2004.
Web.
Gerstenfeld, Phyllis B. Hate Crimes: Causes, Controls, and Controversies. 2nd ed. Los Angeles:
SAGE, 2011. Web. 28 Feb 2016.
Guidetta, Angela M. "Who is Batson Black? Deconstructing the Myth of Racial Identity and
Stereotyping." Rutgers Race and the Law Review 8.2 (2007): 321-47. Web.
Jacobs, James B. Hate Crimes: A Critical Perspective Crimes and Justice 22 (1997): 1-50.
Web.

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Moore, James R. "Shattering Stereotypes: A Lesson Plan for Improving Student Attitudes and
Behavior Toward Minority Groups." The Social Studies 97.1 (2006): 35-9. Web. 24 Feb
2016.
Nunnally, Shayla C. "Racial Homogenization and Stereotypes: Black American College
Students' Stereotypes about Racial Groups." Journal of Black Studies 40.2 (2009;2008;):
252-65. Web. 25 Feb 2016.