Personal Reflection

Race in the media is something we don’t pay attention to enough. The media seems to create a number of stereotypes about all races. My ideas of race seem to have subconsciously been shaped by the media. When thinking about some of the most common stereotypes, they all have to do with race. I know that I was not raised in a family that held any sort of racial grudges, yet when someone says something a man with the name Jose, I automatically place that person in a certain category. This actually happened to me a few weeks ago, I was in London at the famous Abby Road and I heard one of my friends say she just met two guys from Mexico City, one named Jose the other Pedro. In my head I immediately drew the conclusion that these people had brown skin, brown eyes and were probably not very well off. When I turned around to meet them, they both had blonde hair and blue eyes dressed to the nine in designer clothing. Another one of my friend was thinking the same thing I was and said there is no way you guys are from Mexico City, you don’t look Mexican. This is such an appalling situation to look back at. We sound so ignorant with these stereotypes, yet when any one is asked to describe what they see in their head when they hear the name Jose, I can almost guarantee they will come up with a description similar to what popped into my head. I truly believe that this subconscious stereotyping can be thanked due in part to the media. It is impossible for every single individual cross culturally to be taught in the home these types of racial associations. When examining the media, it can be seen how the simplest of racial associations become prominent. For instance on Greys Anatomy, the hit TV show, the Asian women on there has the last name Yang and frequently brags on her academic success, yet is constantly floundered in her social failure. This is very similar to the connotations many people make in their head about Asians today. Overall the media is not very sensitive in most situations to racial situations.