The Ethnic Notation Video

The video we watched in class a few days ago about ethnicity was really intense. I think it put a lot out there about what African Americans really were in the minds of white people. I did not know that Sambo, Zip coon, mammy, the brute, the pickaninny, and urban coon were stereotypes used to describe African Americans. I do not think it is fair that African Americans were discriminated in this way. I also do not think it is fair how African Americans were discriminated in the various cartoons shown in the movie. One of the ways African Americans were made fun of in these cartoons was by drawing big lips on these African American characters. African Americans were portrayed as monkeys and horrible beasts. Even little kids and babies were depicted with wild animals to show that they were animals themselves. This just shows how far white people have gone to discriminate African Americans. These stereotypes are similar to some of the stereotypes that still exist today. For example, I have seen recent pictures where African Americans are still portrayed with big lips. I have even seen from personal experience, people making fun of how African Americans look.I think discrimination and stereotypes still exist today, not only African American stereotypes, but also stereotypes of many different cultures and religion. 

As a Hispanic, I have never been personally criticized or made fun of because of my race. But I have seen many cases in the news were Hispanics are been abused by racists. There was one specific case of a hate crime in which three African Americans killed a Hispanic man by beating him with an aluminum bat. (http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/12/13/2008-12-13_a_rally_cry_for_latino_immigrant_killed_.html
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