The American Civil Rights Movement happened in the late 50's and carried on into the early 60's. It was 1964 when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 got passed and African-American's enjoyed the same rights as their Caucasian neighbors. Fast-forward 49 years in the future and although everyone has equal rights, racism still exists and it affects everyone through stereotypes. How can society judge an individual based on what it believes are characteristics that everyone of the same ethnicity face? We see stereotypes everyday and most of us just accept them. Why are stereotypes so common in today's society?
In the Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie, the author comes to terms with the stereotype of a Native American. It is widely believed that Native Americans are all alcoholics; Alexie brings this to light and acknowledges this problem, while relating it to his own life and battle with alcoholism. The difference between Alexie and other authors is that he combats stereotypes by using humor. On page 183 of Alexie's book, he recalls the time a police officer pulled him over and racially profiled him, later telling him that he didn't "fit the profile of the neighborhood." You think to yourself, that this could not happen in today's society and that no cop would ever say something like that to a citizen, but you are wrong because racial profiling is common throughout the US especially in states such as Arizona. If we want to be the "melting pot" of the world, then the people of America need to stop stereotyping people.
Sherman Alexie poses a question for us all in his writing; he asks if racism is worth it, because every single person has faced a stereotype in their life at some point. Is the stereotype you think someone fits under really worth saying out loud? It's not.
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