If you don’t already know, a stereotype is a generalization that is usually exaggerated or oversimplified and is often offensive to distinguish a group. I come from an Arab background but I have spent all my life in the US.

As we were growing, we faced some of the most common stereotypes until we got used and became kind of immune to some insults. Some of the common stereotypes here in US include-Every Arab is a terrorist, Every Hispanic person is Mexican, All Blondes are stupid, Every Hispanic person in America is an illegal immigrant.

A “stereotype” is a generalization about a person or group of persons. This is wrong because its a result of deliberate misinformation or because people are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations.

In school, people always looked at me different, yet the colour of my skin was the same as most if not all the people in the school.

But the society i grew up in often created and perpetuated stereotypes and often i felt discriminated against and in some cases i would feel persecuted.

I have been a victim of stereotype until one day in school, a kid called me Bin Laden’s daughter. This made me lash out in rage and i even confronted that person face to face. But at the end of the day, i knew it was pointless. Because what you call me doesn’t define who i am.

But chances are high that if you stereotype someone more than once, that could push them to do something irrational.
In America the whole idea of “freedom” and “freedom of religion” is taken seriously, but it only ends in books. Yet, no one really accepts that and there is still segregation everywhere, whether it’s religious or ethnicity wise. 

I have pretty light skin and no one would ever guess that I’m a Muslim or even Arab. My dad has pretty dark skin has been a Muslim all his life. I was also born a Muslim. My mom has light skin and that’s where I found myself. No one choses where to be born.

People always ask me if I’m a terrorist or if I know any when I first meet them. I always say no but they never believe me. The word terrorist means someone who causes terror or frightens others. The truth is, stereotypes give us ideas and push us to believe things that aren’t true. 

I applied for a job in a gas company and i was refused because I am an Arab. I have grown and studied in US, but I still have limitations on the kinds of jobs i can do. This is totally unfair.
I have started a campaign against stereotypes in the US. I always argue that when we judge people and groups based on our prejudices and stereotypes and treat them differently, we are engaging in discrimination.

Many clubs have restrictive membership policies which do not permit Jews, African-Americans, women, and others to join.
In some cases, the civil and criminal justice system has not been applied equally to all as a result of discrimination. Some studies indicate that African-Americans convicted of first degree murder have a significantly higher probability of receiving a death penalty than whites convicted of first degree murder, for example.

I was refused a job for being an Arab

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