How Mass Media Contributes to Minority Stereotyping

In 1993, the most famous study of stereotyping was found through a questionnaire by Katz and Braly. Throughout history, minorities have been victims of racial stereotyping. These stereotypes negatively affect them through the misjudgements and perceptions placed upon them. This study will examine the following stereotypes: Sapphire, thugs, criminals and maids. It will also state the many negative effects it has on the lives of minorities and how mass media contributes to stereotyping. Acceptance of the existence of stereotypes as well as many other methods can dispel them as a whole.

The most famous study of racial stereotyping was done by Katz and Braly. In 1993 Katz and Braly made students at Princeton University complete a questionnaire. The races of participants varied but mostly were white. “American university students were given a list of nationalities and ethnic groups, and a list of 84 personality traits. They were asked to pick up five or six traits which they thought were typical.” (McLeod, 2015) The test concluded White Americans being viewed as ambitious and progressive while African Americans were seen as ignorant and lazy. Though never having personal contacts, the participants made a quick judgement highlighting that racial stereotypes exist. A stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996). In this essay, I will identify the most commonly known stereotypes in which minorities face on a daily basis. I will also demonstrate the impact these misperceptions has on these groups. Racial stereotypes negatively affect Hispanics and African Americans in which they cause society to have misperceptions and misjudge minority groups.

In recent years, Latin Amerians have grown to account for the largest minority group in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, “Hispanics estimate about 18.3 % of the population and it is expected to grow larger surpassing whites in future years.” (2019) Aside from blacks, hispanics, have been victims of stereotypes. Pursuing better lives, many Latinos sought jobs in domestic services when they first migrated to America. Since, they have not been able to shake that stereotype. Latin women are seen as maids and the men are seen as gardeners. In many cases they are believed to lack the ability to speak English.

Mass media has influenced the minds of others into the maid stereotype. From Family Guy’s “Consuela” to Eva Longoria’s “Devious Maids”, the characters have all exemplified domestic workers. The animated character Consuela De La Morrela is a fifty year old maid for many families on the show. She is depicted as a nuisance and does not speak English well. In “Devious Maids” a group of Latina domestic working friends who come together with the sharing of their struggles. An article from the New York times interviewing Lupe Ontiveros quoted “for most of her 25 years as an actor she has played mostly maids. She figures she has played a maid at least 150 times, in films like ''As Good as It Gets'' and NBC sitcoms like ''Veronica's Closet'' and, most recently, ''Leap of Faith.'' Stereotyping gives the mass media a continued perspective of who Hispanics are and casts actors and actresses into the same one dimensional roles.

Lastly, a common stereotype for Hispanic men is the “drug kingpin/criminal”. This stereotype is harsh and demeaning. The Anti-Immigration campaign fuels misperceptions about

Hispanics though many are descended from indigenous people and have been here for a very long time. To make matters worse, our president has played into the stereotypical deceptions. “Trump has described migrants from Central and South America, many of whom are seeking asylum from violence in their home countries, as criminals, gang members and rapists.” His campaign focuses on building a wall in hopes to keep these “criminals” and “drug dealers” out of our country. The walls and cages ICE as well as Trump has built to hold illegal immigrants influenced the mass media to view Hispanics as animalistic or pests.

Throughout history, Hispanic drug dealers have been glorified in the mass media. Drug kingpins such as Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Pablo Escobar and many others have influenced this stereotype. After they came to prominence, Hispanics began receiving a negative stigma. Shows began being made with this specific kingpin appetite of entertainment. An example is the show Narcos. It highlights the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and stories of many kingpins. In addition, Fredo Santana, a rapper from Chicago once said in his song “Jealous”, “Got bricks and I feel like El Chapo”. Many artists have incorporated lyrics idolizing the Hispanic drug dealer stereotype.

One of the most enduring stereotypes in American history is that of the angry black woman which was formerly known as “Sapphire”. Rooted in the 1800s through the mid 1900s, this stereotype characterizes African American women as quick-tempered, ignorant and hostile. During the Jim Crow period, Sapphires were depicted as women who were fearless against white men and were socially accepted as members of white families. As time progressed, the term progressed into a negative connotation.

”Sapphire was a stereotype solidified through the hit show 'Amos 'n' Andy'. In the show, Ernestine Wade played Sapphire Stevens. Sapphire Stevens was the wife of George “Kingfish” Stevens. She was portrayed as ill mannered, argumentative and consistently condemning her husband. The Sapphire caricature throughout history has been popularized causing misinterpretations of black women. More and more shows incorporate the angry black woman stereotype.

Another common stereotype is black males seen as thugs. The underrepresentation of African American males has caused them to be stereotyped negatively. Black men were originally seen as brute throughout the twentieth century. “The film Birth of a Nation, made in 1915, shows Black men as savages trying to attack White women. Their brutality is met with propaganda depicting the Ku Klux Klan as heroic and honorable. The result was Blackness becoming closely associated with criminalization.” Through repetition, this stereotype began being internalized as the truth and as a result black men are victims of police brutality as well as mass incarceration.

Time and time again, African American adolescents as well as adults have been stereotyped as thugs. The case of Trayvon Martin is an example of the thug stereotype being internalized as the truth. On February 26, 2012 the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman sparked debates nationally. Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch for his community and frequently made calls to police about suspicious behavior. On the night of the shooting, Zimmerman called to report a suspicious person. Martin was walking home with his hoodie on causing Zimmerman to become curious. He told the dispatcher 'This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining, and he's just walking around.' (Botelho, 2012). Against the dispatchers instructions, he began following Martin. The two exchanged words and a matter of what really transpired is hearsay. The night concluded with the death of a teenage boy; beginning a never ending cycle of violence against innocent African American men.

Mass media causes society to form misperceptions and racially stereotype minority groups such as Hispanics and African Americans. Nancy Kress once said, “A stereotype may be negative or positive, but even positive stereotypes present two problems: They are cliches, and they present a human being as far more simple and uniform than any human being actually is.” To make sense of the world in which we live in, society forms stereotypes to group in all members of racial groups. It simplifies our social world and reduces thinking or understanding. In order to discontinue stereotypical thinking, we need to first accept that they continue to exist. In addition, the underrepresentation of minorities should be replaced with them being represented with more positive roles. With the coming of years, society has made strides yet many are oblivious to the oppression of minorities. Stereotypes are internalized truths that with education of the problems they hold can be challenged and changed.

References

1. Botelho, Greg. “What Happened the Night Trayvon Martin Died.” CNN, Cable News Network, 23 May 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/05/18/justice/florida-teen-shooting-details/index.html.
2. Caldwell, M. (1996). Dictionary of Psychology. Chicago IL: Fitzroy Dearborn.
3. Jewell, S.K. (1993). From mammy to miss America and beyond: Cultural images and the shaping of US policy. New York: Routledge.
4. McLeod, S. A. (2015, Oct 24). Stereotypes. Simply Psychology. https:// www.simplypsyhology.org/katz-braly.html
5. Navarro, Mireya. “Trying to Get Beyond the Role of the Maid; Hispanic Actors Are Seen as Underrepresented, With the Exception of One Part.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 May 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/05/16/movies/trying-get-beyond-role-maid-hispanic-actors-are-seen-underrepresented-with.html.
6. Rivas, Anthony. “Trump's Language about Mexican Immigrants under Scrutiny in Wake of El Paso Shooting.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 4 Aug. 2019, abcnews.go.com/US/trumps-language-mexican-immigrants-scrutiny-wake-el-paso/story?id=64768566.
7. Smiley, C., & Fakunle, D. (2016). From 'brute' to 'thug:' the demonization and criminalization of unarmed Black male victims in America. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 26(3-4), 350–366. doi:10.1080/10911359.2015.1129256
8. US Census Bureau. “Hispanic Heritage Month 2019.” Hispanic Heritage Month 2019, 9 Oct. 2019,www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2019/hispanic-heritage-month.html#: ~:targetText=59.9%20million,of%20the%20nation's%20total%20population.