Is Stereotyping Racist?

                A few years ago while going for my Bachelors Degree in Psychology during a class discussion in my “Ethnic and Cultural Diversity” class our teacher brought up a question.  The question, “If person is stereotyping another person’s ethnic background, is that person being racist?”  Pretty much everyone except for me stated yes.  The teacher then asks me to explain my thoughts on why I don’t feel it is.

                I explained that based on what I have observed throughout my life that some stereotypes do have some validity to it.  I gave him some examples such as; Hispanics in general have a lot of kids in their family, another is that if someone who has a good amount of tattoos like I, people assume you are a biker or spent time in prison.  I stated I do not own or ride a motorcycle and that while I spent time in prison it was because I worked there and not because I was a criminal.  While most Hispanic may have a lot of kids, by no means every Hispanic family has a lot of kids.  It’s the same as for those with a good amount of tattoos and being either bikers or criminals.

                The teacher then asked the same question over again.  Still others thought that stereotyping and racist were one in the same.  To their dismay, he then explain to those who think that it one in the same they were wrong.  Then he explained that there are two reasons for it now being the same.  First off, that stereotyping is based on some truth based off a person observation.  While not 100% true, it still holds some truth to it.  Secondly and the main reason, racism is based off of hate and not stereotyping.  Racism is more of a learned behavior based on what a person is taught. 

                Some background on this teacher, he is a Mexican-American, born in Mexico and came to America while in his teens and while I may not agree with his teaching sometimes I do have great respect for the man.