labels

Mirikitani doesn't like labels. Labels deny individuality. "do you orientals do everything so neatly?" the woman in the poem asks her. Egads - does this woman realize the stereotype she is making?

I've tried to come up with what someone might say about white people - "do all you white people do X so X?" and haven't come up with much yet. Maybe something like "Do all you white people assimilate every culture you encouter?" or "Are all you white people so fat?" I think in order to create a stereotype you have to first encounter an individual, pick out a characteristic and then apply it to the group. I'm not sure you can create a group and then a stereotype and then an individual.

I hate the single mother stereo-type. A few months after my ex walked out I had a newborn, 2 other kids and no money. I gave up trying to support us and applied for welfare. It was awful standing there with these three kids - one red head, one brunette, and one blonde and being asked who the father of each was. Maybe it was a formality - and it required that I begin proceedings for child support - but I got and still get this all the time. People figure if you're a single mother and your kids look this different that you must have a revolving bedroom door.

All single mothers do not have the same experience. All Asians, indigenous, etc do not have the same experience, skills, desires. Mirikitani's poem captures the hopelessness a stereotyped individual feels that this is life and people will never see past the label.

Or maybe they will if courses like this make any difference.