Stereotypes of groups within the United States

Worldwide, a disproportionately high number of people know about these stereotypes, due to the transmission of American culture and values via the exportation of American-made films and television shows.

[2] Throughout the history of the United States, stereotypes have been prevalent and have had a major impact on the ethnic groups in the country.

There has long been admiration for Native Americans as people who fit the archetype of the noble savage within European thought, stemming from a cultural sympathy which is grounded within the post-Enlightenment theory of primitivism.

[3][4] These positive portrayals of Native Americans as being noble, peaceful people, who lived in harmony with nature and each other continue within modern culture, e.g. the film Dances with Wolves (1990).

In popular media, Native Americans were portrayed as wild, primitive, uncivilized and dangerous people who continuously attacked white settlers, cowboys, and stagecoaches and ululated while they held one hand in front of their mouths.

As colonization continued in the United States, groups were separated into opposing categories such as "Christians" and "civilized" and "heathen" and "savage".

The Jezebel stereotype was used during the slave era to describe a black woman who had sexual relations with a white man.

[6] Black people were usually depicted as slaves or servants who worked in cane fields or carried large piles of cotton.

In many vaudeville shows, minstrel acts, cartoons, comics and animated cartoons of that period, they were depicted as sad, lazy, dimwitted characters with big lips who sang bluesy songs and were good dancers, but they got excited whenever they were confronted with dice games, chickens or watermelons (examples: all of the characters who were portrayed by Stepin Fetchit and black characters in cartoons like "Sunday Go to Meetin' Time" and "All This and Rabbit Stew").

African black people were usually depicted as primitive, childlike, cannibalistic persons who live in tribes, carry spears, believe in witchcraft and worship their wizard.

More positive depictions appeared where black people and African Americans are portrayed as great athletes and superb singers and dancers.

In many films and television series since the 1970s, black people are depicted as good-natured, kind, honest and intelligent persons.

Often they are the best friend of the white protagonist (examples: Miami Vice, Lethal Weapon, Magnum Force, Walker, Texas Ranger, The Incredibles).

Some critics believed this political correctness led to another stereotypical image where black people are often depicted too positively.

[15] One big difference between the two drugs is that African Americans were more likely to use crack in their lifetime than white people, whereas racial minorities are at less risk of powder cocaine use.

This is a stereotype that directly came from the anti-immigration sentiment and was fueled by politicians such as U.S. president Donald Trump, who said, "They're taking our jobs.

They're killing us.”[23] While Hispanics and Latino men have the highest labor force participation rates of any demographic in the United States.

[24] A poll by the Pew Research Center found that 77% of adults believe that undocumented immigrants mostly fill jobs U.S. citizens do not want.

[32] The media also often portray Latinas in a sexual manner, consistently showing them in tight fitting, revealing clothes.

An example is the sitcom Modern Family, in which a character played by Sofia Vergara consistently wears revealing clothes and high heels and is hotheaded.

[33] The media in American society has continued to push an image of Latinas as sexually attractive, with voluptuous figures and wearing revealing clothing.

[34] Due to the vast amount of subgroups within Asia, numerous stereotypes have been created as a result of the immigration to America by members of those different groups.

[35] Those generalizations seek to erase the disparities within the Asian American community, while also being weaponized against other minorities for not living up to those standards.

[44] Jewish Americans are associated with charity, philanthropy and being adept at doing business,[45] but also with negative attributes related to entrepreneurship, primarily greed, corporatism and power.