I felt the MacLaren reading was alright. The part I specifically was interested in was when he suggested that Black students need to adopt "white" stereotypes. The stereotypes white people have were categorized as arriving on time, doing well in school and other positive things. These are predominately good stereotypes, why do they have to be classified as White? I don't think it does anything good for any party involved. If you're black, it makes it seem like you have to drop your whole culture to change, or that you simply can't change because of the color of your skin, and if your white, it seems like you are the bad guy because you may or may not possess those qualities, though it is assumed you do.
I believe that working hard, arriving on time, and those other positive qualities that MacLaren mentioned should not be seen as stereotypes of white people, rather as stereotypes of a good worker, so instead of aspiring to be White, a Black student or Black person can aspire to be a good person, I don't think it has to be a race issue, though it is one.
Everything you are saying makes perfect sense. It shouldn't be a race issue. People should want those things and not just white people have those qualities. It should be seen in a positive light, not a negative one.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Dan!! They are making it a stereotype by saying that. If they felt the way you do that it attributes a hard worker then there would be no racist issue whatsoever!
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