1
ESSAY 3: How Does Society Stereotype You?
Background:In 2009 the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a famous TED talk
called “The Danger of a Single Story.” It was about what happens when complex human beings
and situations are reduced to a single narrative: when Africans, for example, are treated solely as
pitiable poor, starving victims with flies on their faces. Her point was that each individual life
contains a heterogeneous compilation of stories. If you reduce people to one, you’re taking away
their humanity.
Adichie believes that stories matter, but that all too often in our lives we operate from the
perspective of hearing and knowing a single story — about a person, a situation, or perhaps a
conflict. And that we operate from the perspective of the single story unconsciously. The risk of
the single story, the one perspective, is that it can lead us to default assumptions, conclusions and
decisions that may be incomplete, and may lead to misunderstanding. Operating from the context
of a single story can prevent us from a more complex, nuanced view of a situation.
As Adichie says, single stories can have significant negative impact. They can rob people of
their dignity and emphasize how we are different rather than how we are similar. At its core, this
talk encourages us to recognize how much stories matter. And that by giving space to hear a
multitude of stories we can help to empower and humanize others.
_____________________________________________________________________
Writing Prompt: Write 900-1200 words (approx. 3-4 pages) analyzing one of the ways society
stereotypes an aspect of your identity. Use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotations from at
least 3 specific examples that illustrate your idea in fiction or nonfiction media.
To write an effective thesis statement, make sure you connect your idea to a bigger
significance. Analyze the stereotype examples and explain something important about them.
Consider: Why does the stereotype exists? Why and how is it harmful to society? What would
you like to see changed or improved? Has there been any recent news or change to your topic?
*Your examples of stereotyping may come from news articles, opinion essays, entertainment
media (TV, Music, movies, magazines), literature, or advertisements, etc. Please cite your
sources carefully and follow MLA rules.
______________________________________________________________________
A.
Prewriting Strategies
2
1. Brainstorm some ideas: Do some research online or in books/magazines/music
etc. to check that you will be able to come up with plenty of examples to support
your ideas.
2. Discuss the choices with some trusted friends and family members to flesh out your ideas
and figure out what’s important to you.
3. Free write: Sit down and just start writing about one or two of your topics. Don’t worry
about organization or grammar here. Just write and see what comes out. Find out if you
like the topic and have plenty to say about it.
B.
Thesis Statements
3
Choose the specific stereotype you want to discuss and form a thesis argument. This is the big
idea you have for your essay. You can always change and adjust the wording later, but you can’t
start organizing your support until you have the idea that you want to write about.
A thesis statement should:
• Narrow your topic to a central idea—all topic sentences and body paragraphs will
develop and support this idea
• Argue something specific and significant about the topic, conveying your expert opinion
• Be important and clear enough that people will not ask “so what?” or “why does this
matter?”
• Be logical, precise, and reasonable
• Avoid first-person point of view such as ‘I” “me” “my” in a thesis statement
• Avoid generalizations and ideas that too broad or too vague to support (Avoid “always,
“never,” everyone,” etc.)
*Note the use of common transition/coordinator words that help students form an
argument: due to, though, although, through, by, since, because, if, despite, while, unless,
so that …
How can you explain your stereotype and argument about it in 1-2 sentences? This is your working thesis:
______________________________________________________________________
4
C. Outlining your essay ideas and organizing your examples
The number of paragraphs is always up to you, depending on how you break down your thesis. For each
body paragraph, try to include one longer example or at least two shorter examples. Examples may also
include quotes, paraphrases, or summaries if you introduce and explain them effectively and cite the
source correctly.
I. Introduction Paragraph
A. Hook (not a question, must be important and connect to your topic)
B. Background information (explanation of the stereotype, any necessary definitions or related history)
C. Thesis statement (Clear statement of the stereotype & your point about it--see examples)
II. First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
III. Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
5
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
IV. Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
V. Fourth Body Paragraph
C. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
6
D. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis)
VII. Conclusion Paragraph (Last chance to make connections to your examples and bigger ideas)
A. Summarize your ideas, examples, and reasons
B. Restate your thesis statement in a strong way
C. End with strong language and a deeper connection/significance
______________________________________________________________________
D. Write a Draft: Type up your essay and check your formatting
7
Writing Direct Quotations—If you use them, use them correctly!
Keep the title and the author's name in the same sentence as a quote
Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, movies and all larger works need to be italicized
Titles of articles, chapters, songs, or any shorter work need to be in “quotation marks”
Any exact words or unique phrases copied from a source (spoken or written) is a direct quote. Use
quotation marks.
Quote no more material than is necessary to prove it is an example. Don't quote an entire paragraph.
Sometimes you won’t even need the whole sentence.
Always explain the context or situation first, so that your reader will understand the quote
Always explain your analysis and ideas about the quote, so that your reader will understand how the
quote connects to your argument
To shorten quotes by removing extra information, use ellipsis points (...) to indicate that you left
something out.
MLA Formatting Guide for Page Set up
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Use Times or Times New Roman 12-point font (nothing bold)
One-inch margins all the way around (this is automatic)
Double space the entire page—no more than two spaces anywhere (even after a title)
Give your essay a thoughtful title. Use title case, capitalizing the first letters of main words of the
title but not articles or prepositions within the title. Do not bold, underline, or italicize your title,
and do not enlarge the font. Do not use quotation marks on your own title. Center the title.
Periods and commas go inside (before) closing quotation marks.
In the upper left corner of the first page include your name, class name, teacher, and date
In the upper right corner of every page include your last name and the page number (insert-page
numbers-then type your name next to the page number in the heading)
Use spell check and be careful with their/there/they’re and its/it’s because spell check won’t fix
these.
Check for all types of plagiarism! Plagiarism has serious consequences in American colleges and
universities!
E. Have a friend peer review your essay. Edit and revise. See a tutor or come to office
hours. Edit and Revise again. Don’t be afraid to make many changes and even re-write or
delete chunks of your writing.
8
See the revision guidelines for this class to get more ideas about how to revise and what to look for.
1
ESSAY 3: How Does Society Stereotype You?
Background:In 2009 the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a famous TED talk
called “The Danger of a Single Story.” It was about what happens when complex human beings
and situations are reduced to a single narrative: when Africans, for example, are treated solely as
pitiable poor, starving victims with flies on their faces. Her point was that each individual life
contains a heterogeneous compilation of stories. If you reduce people to one, you’re taking away
their humanity.
Adichie believes that stories matter, but that all too often in our lives we operate from the
perspective of hearing and knowing a single story — about a person, a situation, or perhaps a
conflict. And that we operate from the perspective of the single story unconsciously. The risk of
the single story, the one perspective, is that it can lead us to default assumptions, conclusions and
decisions that may be incomplete, and may lead to misunderstanding. Operating from the context
of a single story can prevent us from a more complex, nuanced view of a situation.
As Adichie says, single stories can have significant negative impact. They can rob people of
their dignity and emphasize how we are different rather than how we are similar. At its core, this
talk encourages us to recognize how much stories matter. And that by giving space to hear a
multitude of stories we can help to empower and humanize others.
_____________________________________________________________________
Writing Prompt: Write 900-1200 words (approx. 3-4 pages) analyzing one of the ways society
stereotypes an aspect of your identity. Use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotations from at
least 3 specific examples that illustrate your idea in fiction or nonfiction media.
To write an effective thesis statement, make sure you connect your idea to a bigger
significance. Analyze the stereotype examples and explain something important about them.
Consider: Why does the stereotype exists? Why and how is it harmful to society? What would
you like to see changed or improved? Has there been any recent news or change to your topic?
*Your examples of stereotyping may come from news articles, opinion essays, entertainment
media (TV, Music, movies, magazines), literature, or advertisements, etc. Please cite your
sources carefully and follow MLA rules.
______________________________________________________________________
A.
Prewriting Strategies
2
1. Brainstorm some ideas: Do some research online or in books/magazines/music
etc. to check that you will be able to come up with plenty of examples to support
your ideas.
2. Discuss the choices with some trusted friends and family members to flesh out your ideas
and figure out what’s important to you.
3. Free write: Sit down and just start writing about one or two of your topics. Don’t worry
about organization or grammar here. Just write and see what comes out. Find out if you
like the topic and have plenty to say about it.
B.
Thesis Statements
3
Choose the specific stereotype you want to discuss and form a thesis argument. This is the big
idea you have for your essay. You can always change and adjust the wording later, but you can’t
start organizing your support until you have the idea that you want to write about.
A thesis statement should:
• Narrow your topic to a central idea—all topic sentences and body paragraphs will
develop and support this idea
• Argue something specific and significant about the topic, conveying your expert opinion
• Be important and clear enough that people will not ask “so what?” or “why does this
matter?”
• Be logical, precise, and reasonable
• Avoid first-person point of view such as ‘I” “me” “my” in a thesis statement
• Avoid generalizations and ideas that too broad or too vague to support (Avoid “always,
“never,” everyone,” etc.)
*Note the use of common transition/coordinator words that help students form an
argument: due to, though, although, through, by, since, because, if, despite, while, unless,
so that …
How can you explain your stereotype and argument about it in 1-2 sentences? This is your working thesis:
______________________________________________________________________
4
C. Outlining your essay ideas and organizing your examples
The number of paragraphs is always up to you, depending on how you break down your thesis. For each
body paragraph, try to include one longer example or at least two shorter examples. Examples may also
include quotes, paraphrases, or summaries if you introduce and explain them effectively and cite the
source correctly.
I. Introduction Paragraph
A. Hook (not a question, must be important and connect to your topic)
B. Background information (explanation of the stereotype, any necessary definitions or related history)
C. Thesis statement (Clear statement of the stereotype & your point about it--see examples)
II. First Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
III. Second Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
5
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
IV. Third Body Paragraph
A. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
B. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis and transition to following paragraph)
V. Fourth Body Paragraph
C. Topic sentence (First sub-topic of thesis)
6
D. Convince us! (reasons/rational)
C. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
D. Specific Example (with clear connection to thesis explained)
E. Concluding sentence (clearly connect back to thesis)
VII. Conclusion Paragraph (Last chance to make connections to your examples and bigger ideas)
A. Summarize your ideas, examples, and reasons
B. Restate your thesis statement in a strong way
C. End with strong language and a deeper connection/significance
______________________________________________________________________
D. Write a Draft: Type up your essay and check your formatting
7
Writing Direct Quotations—If you use them, use them correctly!
Keep the title and the author's name in the same sentence as a quote
Titles of books, magazines, newspapers, movies and all larger works need to be italicized
Titles of articles, chapters, songs, or any shorter work need to be in “quotation marks”
Any exact words or unique phrases copied from a source (spoken or written) is a direct quote. Use
quotation marks.
Quote no more material than is necessary to prove it is an example. Don't quote an entire paragraph.
Sometimes you won’t even need the whole sentence.
Always explain the context or situation first, so that your reader will understand the quote
Always explain your analysis and ideas about the quote, so that your reader will understand how the
quote connects to your argument
To shorten quotes by removing extra information, use ellipsis points (...) to indicate that you left
something out.
MLA Formatting Guide for Page Set up
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Use Times or Times New Roman 12-point font (nothing bold)
One-inch margins all the way around (this is automatic)
Double space the entire page—no more than two spaces anywhere (even after a title)
Give your essay a thoughtful title. Use title case, capitalizing the first letters of main words of the
title but not articles or prepositions within the title. Do not bold, underline, or italicize your title,
and do not enlarge the font. Do not use quotation marks on your own title. Center the title.
Periods and commas go inside (before) closing quotation marks.
In the upper left corner of the first page include your name, class name, teacher, and date
In the upper right corner of every page include your last name and the page number (insert-page
numbers-then type your name next to the page number in the heading)
Use spell check and be careful with their/there/they’re and its/it’s because spell check won’t fix
these.
Check for all types of plagiarism! Plagiarism has serious consequences in American colleges and
universities!
E. Have a friend peer review your essay. Edit and revise. See a tutor or come to office
hours. Edit and Revise again. Don’t be afraid to make many changes and even re-write or
delete chunks of your writing.
8
See the revision guidelines for this class to get more ideas about how to revise and what to look for.
Chen 1
Chinese Stereotype
The stereotype of any nature is disturbing to the individuals to whom it becomes directed,
and most of the times it is annoying especially when one has to deal with it wherever they go. At
first, stereotype refers to the persuasion that certain people in a particular group share some
aspects through which they get identified. For example, white people could be stereotyped as
innovative meaning that they experience pressure to portray that innovativeness which could be
damaging. Belonging to a category that becomes stereotyped with specific characteristics cause
people to get out of their way sometimes to prove people right or wrong about their assumptions.
In that case, it takes an individual initiative to deal with the labeling of any kind though it is not
easy as there is a kind of generalization that one cannot escape. In regards to the Chinese people,
they have become stereotyped on a lot of avenues which they find to be aggravating when it
comes to the belief that chinses all look similar, are smart and hardworking and they are kung-Fu
masters.
The first stereotype that all Chinese People Resemble Each Other.The statement, "This
stereotype is absurd and ignorant in my opinion, but it is still in circulation, particularly amongst
people that have not taken the time to pay attention to detail," (Sadler) is evidence that the
argument that Chinese people look similar is not correct. That means that there is more to the
appearance of the Chinese that people do not see as they only look at their faces. In that case, just
like with any other race, they differ in height, size and facial structures as well as skin
composition which discredits their similarities notion. According to Sadler, it is difficult to
differentiate the Chinese people because their faces look the same which is a stereotype they find
to be uncalled for considering that they have individual personalities irrespective of their
appearance. I say that is an assumption of people who do not pay attention to the Chinese people
Chen 2
and have never been close to any one of them. Additionally, the truth is that the Chinese people
have more than fifty-six ethnic groups meaning that is impossible for them to resemble each
other entirely especially concerning appearance (Sadler). Being in a society where one is not
recognized because they are mistaken for another person can be annoying because that means
that one can be taken seriously. In institutions like schools or at work where people are expected
to show their performance, it says that one can easily cheat or get credit for another person's
achievement which rarely happens. Therefore, the only way to get rid of this stereotype is by
accepting it exists and avoid trying to make a point whenever things do not work out as expected.
The second stereotype that people usually have is which the Chinese People are Masters of
Kung-Fu. "Thanks to masters like Jin Yong and Gu Long, and we are proud of Ang Lee's movie
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but despite our admiration for the martial art technique, we
can't really fly or beat anyone into the wall," Lu reported. In that case, it is evident that the world
has been made to believe that all Chinese people are good in kung-Fu, but that only gets
portrayed in the movies they produce. So, by assuming that the Chinese can be hired as
bodyguards or other security platforms on that basis makes them feel insulted as some have
never even practiced that art in their lives. As a student, classmates may decide not to relate with
the Chinese students because they assume that if things go sideways, they might get a beating
which is not the case. According to Lu, it is said that the Chinese people are believed to have
mastered the art of KungFu which makes them stereotype as fighters. I say that perspective
makes them to be viewed differently in the society especially away from home something that
makes them feel out of place.
Being thought to be what you are not can be disturbing, and in this case, one can get bullied only
to test their skills in fighting. The fact that not all are skilled means that they become subject to
Chen 3
some embarrassment because they do not deliver on that belief. Most of the practices that the
Chinese undertake are majorly for keeping fit but not for harming people which means that they
might are misunderstood which makes them fall victims of their popular martial arts. In that case,
the society should understand that even though kung-Fu is associated with the Chinese, not all
people are knowledgeable about it and should, therefore, be spared the agony of having to prove
skills they barely possess.
Last but not least, people always think Chinese people are smart and hardworking. "The
hyper-selectivity has resulted in the stereotype that Chinese-Americans (and Asian-Americans
more broadly) are smart, competent and hard-working" Hassan, a New York Times' report, said.
That means that if there are those who do not deliver on this belief, they become viewed as
failures which should not be the case. That is considering that people irrespective of their
background are enabled differently, and if they fail in one area, they are likely to do well in
another. Therefore, the Chinese undergo a lot of pressure to perform well to prove right the
conception that they are all smart, but they should not be subjected to such pressure which is
unnecessary.
They say on the one hand that the Chinese become viewed as inferior in personal skills
because they pay a lot of attention to academics and forget about working on their daily lives and
how to relate with other people (Hassan). I say being labeled as smart but lack specific skills can
be damaging because the Chinese regardless of their brightness get denied opportunities because
they do not display the expected presentation of their smartness. Therefore, one would rather
miss out on that kind of association to being smart but manage to show personal skills that get
sought after by most institutions. Being labeled as intelligent and hardworking and being unable
to deliver on the same is daunting for the Chinese. In that case, according to Hassan, the Chinese
Chen 4
people should be offered opportunities to demonstrate themselves as frontrunners and improve
their skills in the process. The bar should as well not be put too high for them assuming that they
are smart enough to deal with the challenges they face in their workplace. They should be treated
as other individuals with similar qualifications and should not be pressurized to deliver beyond
their means to prove their smartness and satisfy the view that they are hardworking and
productive at work.
The first time I came to the United States, I thought I would not survive away from home
especially with Chinese nationality. People looked at me with some familiarity which confirms
the view that Chinese people seem similar and I felt devastated. Additionally, after joining high
school, I got teased, and people provoked me to get into a fight assuming that I was good at
King-Fu which was not the case. It took me longer to get used to the new environment and the
kind of frustration I felt I would not wish on anyone else. Either way, I survived as I got used to
the tricks people pulled on me, and I finally accepted who I am which has helped me cope, and I
am living to prove that stereotyping exists.
Works Cited
Hassan, Adeel. “Confronting Asian-American Stereotypes.” The New York Times, The New
York Times, 23 June 201
Lu, Fran. “6 Stereotypes All Chinese People Hate.” Culture Trip, 25 Nov. 2017,
Sadler, Stephanie. “CAPA WORLD.” The Top 5 Cultural Celebrations in Ireland, 27 June 2015,
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