Wednesday, September 09, 2009
On the edge
Thoughts on ...
The basic meaning of a stereotype is a generalization or assumption about a certain group of people. What the dictionary doesn't tell you about stereotypes, however, is that they can be not only cruel, but also false.
There is one stereotype that I, as a child of Indian descent, can relate to: that everyone in India has an arranged marriage. Take USA Network's hit series "Royal Pains," for example. One of the main characters, Divya Katdare, is being forced by her parents to marry her best friend, thus villainizing Indian parents in general.
I don't mean to put the USA Network on the spot like this because this arranged marriage stereotype is practically everywhere. In fact, even I myself have been asked about it.
The truth of the matter is many Indians do not have arranged marriages but, at the same time, many do. Unlike Hollywood's portrayal of arranged marriages, however, the ones getting married do have a say in whom they marry.
-- Madhura Chitnavis, Hidden Valley High School
