Racial and Ethnic Groups

Helmreich's book deals with stereotypes about Jews, Italians, Blacks, Japanese, Chinese, Irish, Poles, Wasps (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants), and Hispanics. The author shows that stereotypes for some of these groups are balanced between the negative and the positive (Wasps, Chinese, Japanese), while for others the stereotypes are almost wholly negative (Poles, Jews, Blacks, Hispanics).

The important point to keep in mind is that the author does not set out to merely present these stereotypes as they are expressed by bigots or social research, but rather aims to illuminate the roots of these stereotypes and to expose the lies or the truth of those roots.

At times, the study by Helmreich transcends stereotypes and reveals broad truths about a minority group. For example, in his examination of stereotypes about the Chinese, the author writes that the stereotype that this group is associated in the public mind with "hi

. . .
s, but they are also seen as promiscuous and incapable of fidelity. The Chinese are courteous, but that courtesy is seen as masking some secret, inscrutable scheme. The basic point, again, is that we should not blindly accept any stereotype, positive or negative, first because it might not be true and very likely is not true, and second because acceptance of even a positive stereotype, as Helmreich notes, can make it easier to accept a negative stereotype about the same group. An important point made by Helmreich is that sometimes the stereotyping of a group is carried out by members of that very group. The author notes the example of Jewish comedians who use the stereotype of the spoiled, cold, hard-to-please, Jewish American Princess. Such jokes get laughs, but are such laughs worth the deepening of the stereotyping of Jewish women? It is important to note in such cases that stereotyping can indeed be implemented by the group which is being stereotyped. It is up to all members of society to police themselves to make sure they are not advancing the cause of bigotry and ignorance. Perhaps the author reveals a lack of a sense of humor when he charges that Archie Bunker and "All in the Family" "can legitimate prejudice largely
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Blacks Afro-Americans, Chinese Available, Bunker Family, Blacks Hispanics, Mafia French, War Helmreich, Stereotypes Myths, American Princess, Protestants Hispanics, Chinese Japanese, psychological emotional, italians family oriented, stereotypes true, stereotype helmreich, italians violent, negative stereotypes, believe true, chinese courteous, french lovers, stereotype italians, family oriented,
Approximate Word count = 1500
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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