Headline: DON'T BLAME THE CAFE, IF YOU HATE CURRY
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed:  Fri., May 10, 1991
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 1C. Edition: FIVE STAR

DEAR MR. FREEMAN, '' the letter began. ''In your 'Urban View' column on Friday, April 19, you stated: 'The fact is that the words 'black' and 'deterioration' are not synonymous. But many whites have stereotypes of blacks that prevent them from looking at other factors.'. . . Let me tell you that this white person is not racist and I do not have any stereotypical beliefs. My views and beliefs are from firsthand experience.''
    
The writer went on to explain that he had lived in north St. Louis until 1969. He has returned to his old neighborhood three times since then and the neighborhood has gone downhill. It reminds him of ''news footage of Beirut, '' he says. He went on in his letter to mention all the stereotypes that we've ever heard about African-Americans: Blacks don't care about property, ''all blacks want to be is cool, '' blacks can't speak proper English, blacks are all interested in getting government checks, etc. He ends his letter by saying that ''judging this race on their actions and lifestyles is not 'racist' and 'stereotypical.' ''
   
I don't know the letter writer personally, and I'm in no position to judge whether he is a racist. But while denying that he is being stereotypical, he goes on to mention what are indeed stereotypes.

The situation reminded me of an incident that occurred when I was a student at Washington University. There, a fellow student recommended a Chinese restaurant to me. The food there, my friend David told me, was outstanding. So I took his advice, went to the restaurant and ordered chicken curry. I hated it, and when I saw David again, told him so.
    
But the food is excellent, David insisted. He urged me to go back to the restaurant and order something different. I did so reluctantly, but when I did, I found other items on the menu to be delicious. The problem was that I didn't care for curry. But the other food was so good, in fact, that I've been a regular customer at the restaurant for the past 16 years.
    
The point: At times we base our opinions on only one aspect of something that we've seen or - in my case - tasted. But, upon further examination, our original opinions are often challenged.

I strongly suspect that the letter writer has based his opinions on one aspect of black culture - a more seamy side - that he has either seen himself or that is based on stereotypes.
    
There are blacks who wait for government checks, as there are whites who wait for them. It would be as unfair to paint blacks with the brush of being lazy and looking for a handout as it would be to paint whites with the same brush.
    
Just as it's inaccurate and tremendously stereotypical to say that whites don't care about property because some may have old cars and other junk in their yards, it is equally wrong to say that blacks don't care about property because some homes in black neighborhoods aren't kept up.
    
Like most people, I don't care to be judged on the actions of anyone else. I am an individual and should be judged on my own actions. And that should be the case with everyone.

We do a disservice to people each time we judge them on the negative stereotypes that we have of them.
    
I strongly suspect that many of today's racial tensions are based on stereotypes that many of us have of one another. Whites are suspicious of blacks because they think blacks are out to get something for nothing. Blacks are suspicious of whites because they think they're trying to keep them from getting ahead. Whites are suspicious of Hispanics who are suspicious of Asians who are suspicious of. . . .

In short, people should be judged as individuals, not as a group. I've mentioned here before that I strongly suspect that other factors, such as economic and social matters, have more of an influence on the behavior of people than their race. Whites certainly have no exclusive claim on the dislike of loud music, on the abhorrence of crime, on the distaste for those who fail to maintain their property.
    If we can learn to look at people as individuals - and not as groups - we can greatly reduce our reliance upon stereotypes. And maybe we can help reduce the racial tensions that America is experiencing.

A lot of energies are expended on racial tensions that could be better spent elsewhere. The sooner we tackle these racial problems - the problem of stereotypes as well as others - the sooner we can move on to other pressing problems.


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