What Makes You Think You know Me Just

Because You Know My Skin Color?

My inspiration originated from the novel
Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary
Shelley. In this story, Victor Frankenstein’s
creation experiences prejudice from nearly every
single human-being he comes across because of
his different appearance. Because he’s large and
grotesque, people he encounters assume that he is
a monster.

One particular physical trait of the creation

which contributes to this discrimination is his skin.
In the book, Victor describes his creation as having
yellow skin. This reminded me of myself because,
being Asian, I am also “yellow”—of course not in
the same way considering I’m not a rotting,
reanimated corpse—but that’s besides the point!

This connection with skin color brought me

to think about race and how it has effected human
society for centuries. Being a person of color, I’m
well aware of the experiences that colored people
go through. In fact, I’ve also gone through my own
negative experiences.

For example, when I was younger, during

spring break, my sister and I were visiting family
in Atlanta. She and her friend were fighting, and at
this point, she realized this person wasn’t a good
friend. It got to the point where this friend texted
her, one night, and said, “Dinner is on the front
porch.”
 Our mother was back in Cincinnati, so we
asked her to check the door. Upon which, she
found a cardboard box full of newborn kittens.
Devastated and confused, my mother called the
police. Young and naïve as I was, it wasn’t until
later that I realized I was being racially stereotyped
as it is a stereotype that Asians eat cats and dogs.

However, it wasn’t until I began working on

this project, that I actually researched this topic. So
why is it that a physical trait such as skin color
leads to the development of racial stereotypes?

According to Dr. Keith B. Maddox, racial

categorization reflects the process of placing
people into distinct groups based on variation in
phenotypic physical features of the face and body.
Furthermore, racial stereotyping, prejudice, and
discrimination reflect the human tendencies to
conceptualize and value certain configurations of
phenotypic features differently, and act on these
thoughts and feelings in our interactions with
members of racial categories.

When a person looks at the face of someone

of a different race, a part in our brain—the
amygdala—is often activated. This part of the
brain is specifically involved in fear conditioning,
which is the tracking of the different types of
elements which cause bad outcomes. In short, its
job is to figure out what parts of the environment
show a threat to us and, consequently, to remind us
to keep our distance from them.
 In Difference of Pathology: Stereotypes of
Sexuality, Race and Madness by Sander L.
Gilman, he explains how, as a child develops, a
new sense of difference is acquired. As they
distinguish more and more between the world and
themself, anxiety arises from a perceived loss of
control over the world. To compensate with the
anxiety, the child begins to adjust their mental
picture of people and objects. Essentially,
stereotypes buffer against our most urgent fear by
extending them, making it possible for us to act as
though their source were beyond our control.

In this topic, the mind can be separated into

two categories: pathological and non-pathological.
A pathological mind sets up a rigid line of
difference, whereas a non-pathological mind uses
stereotypes as a momentary coping mechanism
which can easily subside once the anxiety is
overcome. Moreover, pathological minds are
consistently aggressive toward real people. In
contrast, non-pathological minds deal with people
as individuals separate from their stereotypes.

He also notes that people of color are often

considered the antithesis to the mirage of
whiteness, the ideal of European aesthetic values.
This idea of a difference of color causing a
difference in character is an extension of some
real, perceived difference to which the qualities of
‘good’ and ‘bad’ have been applied. He goes on to
say that stereotypes are necessary for humans to
distinguish the good and bad in the world and feel
in control.
 For instance, in a case study by Dr. David
Amodio, he asked subjects to complete a simple
task of organizing different words such as happy
and fear into categories of either positive or
negative. However, right before the word appears,
a face either black or white, flashes on the screen.
He found that when a black person’s face is
flashed very quickly, people are quicker to
categorize negative words than positive words
following it. On the contrary, when a white face is
flashed, people are quicker to categorize positive
words.

Presently, because our culture is filled with

racial stereotypes, many of us “learn” inaccurate
and prejudicial information about people who look
different from us. Because we are ignorant of most
other cultures, it is easier for our images of them to
be manipulated by the small specks of information
we hear about them. In addition, a stereotype may
be so consistently and authoritatively transmitted
in each generation from parent to child that it
seems almost a biological fact. Furthermore, if our
thoughts provoked by these stereotypes go left
unchecked, they might lead to the expression of
bias that is harmful.

Though a large part of our generation is very

liberal and more culturally-aware than ever, there
are still some who just don’t understand it. Some
may say that “people today are too politically
correct and should loosen up and just learn to take
a joke.” But at the end of the day, just because a
racial or ethnic joke doesn’t affect you, it doesn’t
mean that it has no harm on others.
 Stereotypes are harmful because they ignore
individuality of people, it degrades people, and it
can also inflict feelings of inferiority. On the other
end of the spectrum, it can create a false sense of
entitlement and superiority which may lead to
engagement in discriminatory and racist practices.

How many times before have you seen the

headlines of white offenders and black victims on
the news and twitter? Have you noticed how much
they contrast from each other? White people are
often referred to as a “lone wolf” who acted on his
own individual hate, whereas an Islamic terrorist
or black criminal doesn’t receive the same—
casting them into stereotypes of their race.

It is also interesting to see how extremist

white supremacists are rarely called terrorists,
whereas that term is so easily thrown around when
referring to Islamic radicals. Furthermore, white
supremacists and other non-jihadist extremists
have actually killed almost twice as many people
in the US than Islamic terrorists.

It also seems very hypocritical to demonize

Muslims as terrorists while acting like centuries of
European Christianity dominating and oppressing
the rest of the world who weren’t white or
Christian wasn’t the exact same, if not worse.
European Christians started wars, committed
genocides, and took advantage of minorities—
stealing their resources. This shouldn’t just be
called expansion, or manifest destiny, or merely
spreading the faith. That was white terrorism.
 Furthermore, the accomplishments of white
offenders are always celebrated by the media—as
seen in these headlines. Whereas, the crimes and
wrongdoings of black victims are always
reminded. Moreover, in articles about white
offenders, innocent photos are always presented,
while the opposite occurs with black victims. This
humanizes and sympathizes with white people who
don’t deserve it and demonizes black people who
should be mourned and given respect.

Not only do stereotypes hurt average people,

but actors in Hollywood are no exception. Actors
of color are constantly limited to their stereotypes
and given less opportunities to shine and be
creative. Rather than having thought-provoking in-
depth roles, they’re reduced to their stereotypes.
Though representation has rapidly improved for
the black community with the success and critical
acclaim of shows like Empire and How to Get
Away with Murder as well as movies such as
Moonlight and Hidden Figures, the case for Asian
Americans is far from the same.

Though we are the fastest growing racial

group in America, we are completely
underrepresented in media with only about 1% of
us featured in lead roles. Even when Hollywood
has opportunities where Asians can shine with
recent movies like The Great Wall and Ghost in
the Shell, they instead chose to cast the leads with
white actors.
 As a result of my research, I’ve concluded
that there are three main causes of stereotypes: (1)
people develop anxiety and fear of a loss of control
when exposed to people of different races, (2) our
amygdala, as an instinct, fear-conditions our minds
and associates distinct physical traits with negative
characteristics, and (3) misinformation time and
time again has been passed down between
generations causing stereotypes to be so imbedded
in our minds that we almost see them as biological
fact.

They are harmful because they ignore the

humanity and individuality of real people, devalue
and limit us, and create inferiority and superiority
complexes which can cause further racial conflict.
As an effect, people of color are constantly
reduced to their stereotypes on the news, tv,
movies, and more—devaluing us, limiting us, and
reducing our opportunities.

However, although there are specific reasons

for racial stereotypes, by no means do they justify
racism. Although there’s a part of our brain which
specifically develops these stereotypes, there’s
another part—the frontal cortex—which allows us
to inhibit impulses, make complicated decisions
and behave in socially-appropriate ways. All of us
have automatic biases on each other, however
we’re all given the choice and responsibility of
whether to act on them or not. Never forget that
it’s your choice to have integrity or allow yourself
to be weak in the face of ignorance and prejudice.