Chosen stereotype
”Chinese are inferior at sports compared to other races.”
Why is this important to me personally and how I’ve been affected by this topic?
Growing up in a environment different to my race, I felt the discrimination and prejudice towards Chinese in terms of capability to do sports. Back in my middle school in Spain, when we played basketball, I would always be the one sitting on the bench, waiting to be called by my teacher. Even If I was called to go up, I would be switched shortly with another non-Chinese member. I always thought to myself, If they don’t event let me try, how am I supposed to prove my capability to do sports? I thought it was very unfair and I strongly remember my feelings at the time so I chose this topic for my meme.
Research
What exactly is the root or origin of this belief?Where did these false ideas come from?
Chinese culture puts educations in front of anything, this is because Chinese older generation teaches the new generation that sports cannot take you anywhere, and the probability to succeed is ”one in a million”. ”If you study hard, you put the work in, you determine your own fate.’ That has a lot to do with it. There are other ways to succeed in life besides athletics.” In addition to that, it is also believed that Chinese don’t feel respect while doing sports, they feel under control of the situation. These beliefs, that sports is worthless and there is no respect, throughout the history made the percentage of Chinese participating in sports very small. As people are not used to see Chinese doing sports, they automatically think all Chinese are bad at sports.
Do they have a negative impact?How are people who hear about or believe this stereotype affected?How does it affect the people or topic it’s trying to portray?
They do have a negative impact. Just like my case, as people have the idea that Chinese are inferior in sports than other races, they automatically think you are not capable to do it. Chinese people get discriminated and prejudice. They don’t have the chance to show their real capability as the stereotype already made that decision for them.
How does your “meme” reinvent this topic and smash this particular stereotype?What new message do you want to create?Who are you trying to reach (audience)?
In my meme I portray a normal Chine teenager very musculous and sportive. She is situated in a classroom, this is to smash the idea that Chinese should not do sports as believes that it cannot take you anywhere. In my meme I want to make Chinese unashamed of doing sports rather than following the older generation steps. The fact that she has a fitted body and is in a classroom is done deliberately to introduce the idea that these two things can be done simultaneously, there is no need to chose the one or the other. My meme also shows all those who believe that Chinese are naturally bad at sports that that is a fake illusion.
How will my meme change they way this subject is viewed?
I want people to see that Chinese can also be fit, be sportive and not be ashamed be so.
Meme
Citations
https://www.complex.com/sports/2013/07/biggest-stereotypes-in-sports/asians-inferior-at-sports
https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/where-are-asian-american-pro-athletes.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypes_of_East_Asians_in_the_United_States#Physical_attributes_and_traits
