Hello! My name is Ila. Let me tell you a little about myself. Mathematics is my favorite subject, along with chemistry, and I really enjoy working on STEM-related things. I play four instruments, and my favorite among all of them is the violin. I get great grades, and I’m in a variety of clubs. I don’t have time to have fun because my Indian tiger parents don’t let me spend time together with my friends, since they think it is a distraction from my goals and ambitions. 

If you haven't figured out by now, I was joking.

In fact, everything that I just said to describe myself isn’t true. In reality, my favorite subjects are Social Studies and Language Arts, where Math and Science are my least favorites. I have no interest whatsoever in pursuing a career that is STEM related, because that is not my passion. In reality, I do play four instruments, but it’s because I sincerely enjoy music, and not because of my Indian ‘tiger parents.’ In reality, I have plenty of time to spend with my friends. In reality, my parents are not tiger parents in the least bit. They don’t put loads and loads of pressure on me- in fact, the only thing that puts pressure on myself is, well, me.

In reality, I am not your Indian girl stereotype. 

What is a stereotype? By dictionary definition, it’s defined as “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.” When you think of a stereotype, do you associate it with something positive or negative? Often, most stereotypes have a negative connotation.

Now, I want you to ask yourself this: how do stereotypes play a role in your everyday life? How do stereotypes affect your perception on reality and the people in your life? How many relationships have you lost or never had because of stereotypes, or the preconceived notions that society has instilled in our everyday mindsets? There’s a common saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ When you see someone walking down the side of the street, do you judge them based on how nice you think they are and how good of a person they are, or do you judge them based on the stereotype that society classifies them as?

Boys wear blue. Girls wear pink. Women are bad drivers. Asians only care about grades. Indians only do math and STEM-related things. Blondes are dumb. Women belong in the kitchen. Some of these stereotypes seem pretty extreme, but the truth is that these are just some of the many, many stereotypes that play a huge role in our everyday lives. These preconceived notions about people we most likely have never had an actual conversation with effect so much. 

Stereotypes not only plague society, but they seem to have an effect in educational atmospheres as well. 

Negative stereotypes in classrooms or other learning environments can lower performance as well as the ability to learn and retain new information, a recent Stanford study found. It doesn’t only affect how much that they can learn–it will necessarily affect how well they perform on a task with that material. If we could help them to improve these issues in the learning environment and pull down their barriers that may be aborting their ability to learn…then we surely can improve their performance over time.

How we approach or respond to certain situations can change attitudes and preconceived notions that people hold, making them more aware and maybe making them more mindful. The essence of the term “unconscious bias” suggests we may not even be aware of the assumptions we’ve made, or how those assumptions might impact those who cross our paths. Having the conversation can not only enlighten someone else’s thinking, but also may have the added benefit of furthering our own awareness.

Stereotyping is an insidious process. Mental categories and labels are necessary if we are to cope with the fast- paced world around us. Without stereotypes we would have to learn each day what fire-fighters do, how to behave at a funeral or what foods to eat for breakfast. But categorizing is dangerous too. Stereotypes can become too rigid and when there is no room for growth the label becomes stifling, both for the individuals who are labeled and for the category itself. The challenge is to keep an open mind even for the most solid "givens." Absolutism is not a virtue in our constantly changing world.

Believe it or not, there's a stereotype for EVERYONE. Every single person who reads this article has stereotyped people in their life. Now, stereotyping isn't necessarily a bad thing all the time, but when it comes down to the fact of stereotyping affecting relationships, it becomes an issue. Because these preconcieved notions shouldn't get in the way of you talking to the new girl at school who is a little different than you. Or trying something that's slightly out of your comfort zone. Or basically doing anything.

In the end, we all are the same underneath our skin. We are people. We laugh. We play. We dance. We sing. We enjoy life. While we may have our stark differences, we're all in this together. And deep down, though some of you may not see it, we are all beautiful. And every single person on this planet can change the world, regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, etc. 

So, take a chance. Step out of your comfort zone. Do that thing you've always wanted to do. Let go of the negativity that surrounds you. And, most importantly, break the stereotype.