Burro Genius

Gerardo Rodriguez Cruz
Ms. Guinon
English 50
26 March 2013
Stereotypes Good or Bad What can cause people to stereotype in the real world? According to lexiophiles.com “All Mexicans eat chili.” and “Mexicans only eat burritos and fajitas.” And according to Areli “Some stereotypes are and some others do not apply at all Mexicans.” In the United States there are so many ethnicities which all of them have a dream which to have the American dream. This causes a melting pot which means everyone wants to be the same. By reading Burro Genius every one should be like a salad everyone has a different role. By being as one whole is like boring or dull which no one wants that. There is one memoir where stereotyping is everything it is Burro Genius by Victor Villaseñor. This book is about Victor living the life of a Mexican and how they struggle with stereotypes and racism. Stereotypes can cause people to fall for them and act out in acceptance, second they can single out which can lead to blocking, lastly pressure to fit in to comprehend. One socialization process is when others stereotypes a person and these influences cause them to believing it those assumptions. Howard and Victor are talking in the playground. When Howard said after the fight “My parents told me that Mexi-eee-cans always have knives.”(68). Victor did not know what to do because he liked Howard a lot that did not want Howard to get in trouble for getting around bad dirty people. Victor did not though that Mexicans would bring knives everywhere they went. The next day Victor brings not one but two knives to school. Teacher said “OH, A KNIFE! I TOLD’EM! I TOLD’EM that this was going to happen I was going to catch you little dirty spics with knives that day now I have.”(72). The stereotype that Howard said cause this to happen. Because the stereotype got stuck in Victor’s head. It could have been worse for Victor and people around him if the teacher did not see the knives. Victor could have gone into killing white people if he did not catch. Second discrimination can lead to resistance. Victor is in second grade when all of his race change Pressures to fit in the dominant culture can lead an ethnicity to assimilate.