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'''Stereotypes of white people in the United States''' are historically based, culturally relevant and modern-day observations about the character and behavior of [[white people]]. |
'''Stereotypes of white people in the United States''' are historically based, culturally relevant and modern-day observations about the character and behavior of [[ white people]]. |
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{{Discrimination sidebar}} |
{{Discrimination sidebar}} |
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==Stereotypes== |
==Stereotypes== |
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⚫ | White people are sometimes portrayed as being greedy and incredulous in their pursuit of financial gain, regardless of who suffers and who dies.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} [[Audrey Smedley]] speaks on this matter: "''What's important to remember is that when the English established the colonies, they were motivated by greed. We don't talk about that very much in our history, that people are motivated by greed. But the earliest colonists came and took over whatever land they could get from the Indians. And by the 1620s or so, it was very clear they needed laborers to work that land. And that's when they established indentured servitude. [...] By 1680, you see the beginning of the changes. [...] They passed laws that gave Europeans privileges while they increasingly enslaved Africans. [...] All of the Europeans become identified as " white." And Africans take on a different kind of identity. They are not only heathens, but they are people who are perceived as vulnerable to being enslaved. And that's a major point.''"<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview with Audrey Smedley|url=http://racerelations.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=racerelations&cdn=newsissues&tm=15&gps=469_1017_1256_654&f=22&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-02-06.htm|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> |
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===Hygiene and Cleanliness=== |
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A common stereotype held by various African-American communities in the U.S is that White people are generally clueless -- or, at least, don't care -- about personal hygiene.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} One of the most prominent stereotypes is that White people tend not to wash their hands very much, if at all.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} |
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A popular origin story in the U.S for these stereotypes is that of the first impressions Native Americans had of Puritan refugees from England when they first came into contact with each other<ref>{{cite web|title=Lack of hygeine throughout European history|url=http://www.pantribalconfederacy.com/confederacy/useful/pdf/hygiene.pdf|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> and that the natives had to teach those refugees basic hygiene techniques so that they would be able to clean themselves. This also has a strong basis in European history<ref>{{cite web|title=European hygiene|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene#Hygiene_in_medieval_Europe|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> , as personal hygiene was seen as something of a fashion choice, akin to whether one should wear a hat outside or not. dhr.history notes: "''The cities Europeans lived in exposed them to "crowd" diseases, or those spread by close contact, poor sanitation, and poor personal hygiene (Europeans rarely bathed).''"<ref>{{cite web|title=Crowd Diseases|url=http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/us/mod01_pop/context.html|work=Module 01: Demographic Catastrophe — What Happened to the Native Population After 1492?|accessdate=19 May 2012}}</ref> |
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White people have historically been known to propagate and carry out acts of violence against Black people due to racism. Multiple massacres<ref>{{cite web|last=Zinn|first=Howard|title=History of Massacres|url=http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/History/Massacres_History.html|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> , lynchings<ref>{{cite web|title=Lynching|url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAlynching.htm|publisher=Spartacus Educational|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> and raids on Black communities<ref>{{cite web|title=Cincinnati Riot of 1841|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Riot_of_1841|accessdate=16 May 2012}}</ref> were common during the late 18th to mid 20th century. Many of the most horrific acts occurred in the United States and cemented the image of White people as a cruel, savage, deplorable, vicious sub-race of men in the eyes of African-Americans{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}}. Notable events include the [[Duluth lynchings]], [[Scottsboro Boys|Scottsboro Boys incident]] and the [[16th Street Baptist Church bombing|16th Street Baptist Church Bombings]] to name but a few. |
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⚫ | White people are sometimes portrayed as being greedy and incredulous in their pursuit of financial gain, regardless of who suffers and who dies.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} |
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White people are also considered to be generally ignorant of the wider world and how people of other cultures and ethnic groups live. A common related stereotype is that White people are not just ignorant of the wider world because of reasons such as poor education and minimal exposure to other peoples but because they choose to be, usually out of a sense of fear, arrogance or racism.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} White people are generally considered to be "dumb" when it comes to social interaction on a level greater than their immediate circles and comfort zones (a recent Internet meme satirically portrays archetypical examples of how young White women relate to friends of a minority ethnicity in the Western World) and that they have no real understanding of how the the wider world works, especially for those Whites who are middle-class and above socioeconomically.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} They also considered to be incapable of properly raising children, with a significant minority endangering their children in various -- and usually, bizarre -- ways.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stanglin|first=Douglas|title=Facebook photo of duct-taped kids prompts couple's arrest|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/12/facebook-photo-of-duct-taped-kids-prompts-couples-arrest/1|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=19 May 2012}}</ref> |
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===Social stereotypes=== |
===Social stereotypes=== |
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===Negative portrayals of other white people=== |
===Negative portrayals of other white people=== |
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As the social definition of "white people" has changed over the years, studies have shown that different racial, ethnic and nationalities have different stereotypes of white people.<ref>Fernandez, R. ''America Beyond |
As the social definition of " white people" has changed over the years, studies have shown that different racial, ethnic and nationalities have different stereotypes of white people.<ref>Fernandez, R. ''America Beyond black and white: How Immigrants and Fusions are Helping Us Overcome the Racial Divide.'' [[University of Michigan Press]]. p. 174.</ref><ref>Han, A. and Hsu, J.Y. (2004) ''Asian American X: An Intersection of 21st Century Asian American Voices.'' University of Michigan Press. p. 208.</ref> [[Ethnic group]]s such as the [[English people|English]], [[Irish people|Irish]], and [[Italians]] have been portrayed in popular media and culture in a negative fashion.<ref>Leo W. Jeffres, K. Kyoon Hur (1979) " white Ethnics and their Media Images", ''Journal of Communication'' 29 (1), 116–122.</ref> [[ white Hispanic and Latino Americans]] are often overlooked in the U.S. [[mass media]] and in general American social perceptions, where being [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|"Hispanic or Latino"]] is often incorrectly given a racial value, usually mixed-race, such as [[Mestizo]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/essays/june97/rodriguez_6-18.html |title=A CULTURAL IDENTITY |author=[[Richard Rodriguez]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rawstory.com/exclusives/tryferis/hispanic.htm |title=Separated by a common language: The case of the white Hispanic}}</ref><ref>[http://campello.tripod.com/hispanic.html Hispanics:A Culture, Not a Race]</ref> while, in turn, are overrepresented and admired in the U.S. Hispanic mass media and social perceptions.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2003/06/18/y-tu- black-mama-tambien.html Y Tu black Mama Tambien]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A19009-2000Aug1¬Found=true The Blond, Blue-Eyed Face of Spanish TV]</ref><ref>[http://www.latinheat.com/news/2689/blonde-blue-eyed-euro-cute-latinos-on-spanish-tv Blonde, Blue-Eyed Euro-Cute Latinos on Spanish TV]</ref><ref>[http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40221.asp What are Telenovelas? – Hispanic Culture]</ref><ref>[http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-08-06/news/0008060066_1_spanish-latino-leaders-caste Racial Bias Charged On Spanish-Language TV]</ref> |
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<ref>[http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=281 |
<ref>[http://www. blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=281 black Electorate]</ref> |
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<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/08/19/pride_or_prejudice/ Skin tone consciousness in Asian and Latin American populations]</ref> |
<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/08/19/pride_or_prejudice/ Skin tone consciousness in Asian and Latin American populations]</ref> |
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===Intra-white stereotypes=== |
===Intra- white stereotypes=== |
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The [[dumb blonde]] is a popular-culture derogatory [[stereotype]] applied to [[blond]]e-[[hair]]ed women.<ref> |
The [[dumb blonde]] is a popular-culture derogatory [[stereotype]] applied to [[blond]]e-[[hair]]ed women.<ref> |
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* [[Stereotypes of black people]] |
* [[Stereotypes of black people]] |
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* [[Stereotypes of South Asians]] |
* [[Stereotypes of South Asians]] |
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* [[Stuff |
* [[Stuff white People Like]] |
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* [[ |
* [[ white Anglo-Saxon Protestant]] |
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* [[ |
* [[ white trash]] |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{ethnic stereotypes}} |
{{ethnic stereotypes}} |
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{{Racism topics|state=collapsed}} |
{{Racism topics|state=collapsed}} |
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{{ white people}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stereotypes Of |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stereotypes Of white People}} |
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[[Category:Discrimination]] |
[[Category:Discrimination]] |
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[[Category:Ethnocentrism]] |
[[Category:Ethnocentrism]] |
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[[Category:Philosophy of racism]] |
[[Category:Philosophy of racism]] |
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[[Category:Social sciences]] |
[[Category:Social sciences]] |
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[[Category:Ethnic and racial stereotypes| |
[[Category:Ethnic and racial stereotypes| white people]] |
Revision as of 11:58, 25 July 2012
Stereotypes of white people in the United States are historically based, culturally relevant and modern-day observations about the character and behavior of white people.
Part of a series on |
Discrimination |
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Stereotypes
Treatment and Tolerance of Non- whites
White people are sometimes portrayed as being greedy and incredulous in their pursuit of financial gain, regardless of who suffers and who dies.[citation needed] Audrey Smedley speaks on this matter: "What's important to remember is that when the English established the colonies, they were motivated by greed. We don't talk about that very much in our history, that people are motivated by greed. But the earliest colonists came and took over whatever land they could get from the Indians. And by the 1620s or so, it was very clear they needed laborers to work that land. And that's when they established indentured servitude. [...] By 1680, you see the beginning of the changes. [...] They passed laws that gave Europeans privileges while they increasingly enslaved Africans. [...] All of the Europeans become identified as " white." And Africans take on a different kind of identity. They are not only heathens, but they are people who are perceived as vulnerable to being enslaved. And that's a major point."[1]
Social stereotypes
In the United States, white people make up the majority of the nation's politicians, military leaders and corporate executives,[2][3][4] while most minority groups have a smaller presence, and are less well-off. Other stereotypes of white people include the idea that they are all "extremely self-involved, uneducated about people other than themselves, and are unable to understand the complicated ways in which people who are not white survive."[5]
Negative portrayals of other white people
As the social definition of " white people" has changed over the years, studies have shown that different racial, ethnic and nationalities have different stereotypes of white people.[6][7] Ethnic groups such as the English, Irish, and Italians have been portrayed in popular media and culture in a negative fashion.[8] white Hispanic and Latino Americans are often overlooked in the U.S. mass media and in general American social perceptions, where being "Hispanic or Latino" is often incorrectly given a racial value, usually mixed-race, such as Mestizo,[9][10][11] while, in turn, are overrepresented and admired in the U.S. Hispanic mass media and social perceptions.[12][13][14][15][16] [17] [18]
Intra- white stereotypes
The dumb blonde is a popular-culture derogatory stereotype applied to blonde-haired women.[19] The archetypical "dumb blonde," while viewed as attractive and popular, has been portrayed as very promiscuous, as well as lacking in both common street-sense and academic intelligence, often to a comedic level. The dumb blonde stereotype is used in 'blonde jokes.'
See also
- Acting white
- Angry white male
- Ethnic stereotype
- List of terms for white people in non-Western cultures
- Redneck
- Stereotype
- Stereotypes of black people
- Stereotypes of South Asians
- Stuff white People Like
- white Anglo-Saxon Protestant
- white trash
References
- ^ "Interview with Audrey Smedley". Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Mother Jones, the Changing Power Elite, 1998". Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ "US Census Bureau, Household income distribution, 2005". Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ "US Census Bureau, Personal Income for Asian American males". Retrieved 2007-01-20.
- ^ Diamond, E. (1996) Performance and Cultural Politics. Routledge. p. 279.
- ^ Fernandez, R. America Beyond black and white: How Immigrants and Fusions are Helping Us Overcome the Racial Divide. University of Michigan Press. p. 174.
- ^ Han, A. and Hsu, J.Y. (2004) Asian American X: An Intersection of 21st Century Asian American Voices. University of Michigan Press. p. 208.
- ^ Leo W. Jeffres, K. Kyoon Hur (1979) " white Ethnics and their Media Images", Journal of Communication 29 (1), 116–122.
- ^ Richard Rodriguez. "A CULTURAL IDENTITY".
- ^ "Separated by a common language: The case of the white Hispanic".
- ^ Hispanics:A Culture, Not a Race
- ^ black-mama-tambien.html Y Tu black Mama Tambien
- ^ The Blond, Blue-Eyed Face of Spanish TV
- ^ Blonde, Blue-Eyed Euro-Cute Latinos on Spanish TV
- ^ What are Telenovelas? – Hispanic Culture
- ^ Racial Bias Charged On Spanish-Language TV
- ^ blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=281 black Electorate
- ^ Skin tone consciousness in Asian and Latin American populations
- ^ Regenberg, Nina (2007), "Are Blonds Really Dumb?", in mind (magazine) (3)