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- Introduce essential question
- Present the 6 points
- Have people go in groups of 2 or 3, give them each a blank piece of paper and black pen. They will make their own protest sign saying something such as "racism is a virus" and on the back explain why they chose that line or what current event related to that line.
- After 2-3 minutes, have people share out what they wrote and why they wrote it. Ask them what inspired them to write their specific saying
- Have them connect their saying with our EQ
- End off the discussion with the ending

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People are more than what they look like on the outside. Do not assume things about someone based on their outside appearance. Make sure that you take steps forward to demolish racial stereotypes!

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1. Have you yourself or someone you know have any personal experiences with racism or racial stereotypes? (ex. all asians are good at math)
2. How can racial stereotypes bring down the community it is against?
3. Why do you think racial stereotypes are often swept under the rug and also used as a joke?
4. What is the origin of racial stereotypes?
5. How can we, as the human race but also individuals, help combat racial stereotypes? Talk to your 2-3 person group and come up with a solution of your own.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bCsQ17EifpWHGXVEG8nCK59-KXM1F1kd7Fsy3boD7z4/edit?usp=sharing

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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2-3 mins

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/14fLZZLGtwQv7eEJF71prZI97DcCy1bh-p4yiHJxFYHQ/edit?usp=sharing

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Andrew Vo - Copy SOAPSTONE (nonfiction) outline

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pJHe2BzkahwZv0gnnaVuH7M2QnvJNi6JsUPIR-9ZoJw/edit

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Expose yourself to different races, celebrate other cultures

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https://ucc.nd.edu/self-help/multicultural-awareness/overcoming-stereotypes/

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What Are Racial Stereotypes?

Racial stereotypes are automatic and exaggerated mental pictures that we hold about all members of a particular racial group. When we stereotype people based on race, we don't take into account individual differences. Because our racial stereotypes are so rigid, we tend to ignore or discard any information that is not consistent with the stereotype that we have developed about the racial group.

How Do We Develop Racial Stereotypes?

We develop our racial stereotypes in a variety of ways. On a very simple level, it's human nature to categorize people. It's our way of making a complex world simpler. From an early age, we learn to place people and objects into categories. However, when we're very young, we tend to put less of an emphasis on attributing values to these categories. As we grow older and are influenced by parents, peers, and the media, our tendency to label different racial groups as superior/good or inferior/bad increases significantly. Additionally, the less contact we have with a particular racial group, the more likely we are to have negative feelings about the group. Any negative experiences that we have with a member of a particular group will strengthen our racial stereotypes and create fears about particular races. Based on our fears, we develop an us-versus-them mentality that tends to be self-protective in nature. As a result, we miss opportunities to learn and thrive from our differences.

Are Our Racial Stereotypes Harmful?

Some people might say, "There's no harm in having racial stereotypes or making racial or ethnic jokes based on stereotypes. People these days are so politically correct and should just loosen up. Anyway, there's always a kernel of truth in every stereotype." In some instances, all of the above might be true. However, in most cases, racial stereotypes are harmful because they ignore the full humanity and uniqueness of all people. When our perceptions of different races are distorted and stereotypical, it's demeaning, devaluing, limiting, and hurtful to others. In some cases, people who are repeatedly labeled in negative ways will begin to develop feelings of inferiority. Sometimes, these feelings of inferiority can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies that perpetuate the stereotype. Racial stereotypes can also foster feelings of hate and aggression that might lead to a false sense of entitlement and superiority. For those individuals who have power, this can lead to their engaging in discriminatory and racist practices.

How Do We Overcome Our Racial Stereotypes?

Because of their harmful effects, we should make a real commitment to try to overcome our racial stereotypes. This can be achieved by first acknowledging that we're human and that we do harbor racial stereotypes. Next, we should work to become more aware of our inner thoughts and feelings and how they affect our beliefs and actions. When we have a stereotypical thought about a racial group, we should follow it up with an alternative thought based on factual information that discounts the stereotype. We can obtain this factual information by leaving our comfort zones and exposing ourselves to people of different races. We should be willing to engage in honest dialogue with others about race that at times might be difficult, risky, and uncomfortable. We should also seek out media portrayals of different races that are realistic and positive. Attending churches, plays, concerts, and movies that celebrate diversity will also broaden our worldview. As we gain more awareness and knowledge about racial groups, not only will our racial stereotypes lessen, but we will also become better equipped to educate and challenge others about their racial stereotypes. As we change ourselves, we can elicit changes in others through our examples and the quality of our conversations. In doing this, we work to create a society in which all races are valued, appreciated, and embraced.

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Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre Dame

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Overcoming Racial Stereotypes // University Counseling Center // University of Notre Dame

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Racial stereotypes are automatic and exaggerated mental pictures that we hold about all members of a particular racial group. When we stereotype people based on race, we don't take into account individual differences. Because our racial stereotypes are so rigid, we tend to ignore or discard any information that is not consistent with the stereotype that we have developed about the racial group.

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3. Acknowledge that we have racial stereotypes

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3. Acknowledge that we have racial stereotypes

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Start from the core, the reason why racist stereotypes exist. It is human nature to categorize things in groups, including people. This means that to completely rid society from racism and racist stereotypes, we must introduce the younger generation to diverse education. Have schools educate children more about minorities instead of focus on white-washed history. Teach children more about minorities and their cultures. The University of Notre Dame states that, "the less contact we have with a particular racial group, the more likely we are to have negative feelings about the group." Having more diverse history will help fight racist stereotypes by introducing children to diverse racial groups.

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Background (Ness): A photo from an anti-Asian hate protest. If you look closely you can see that the sign in the background says, "Racism is a virus." The background of this is that as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe in 2020, many people started to blame the Chinese people for "starting the pandemic." This therefore was deteriorating to the whole Asian community, as many people cannot tell the difference between Chinese people and other Asians, which is a whole other stereotype to dive into. There was and still is a rise in hate crimes against Asians since the pandemic started. The racism against Asians due to the pandemic is the perfect example of how racial stereotypes (which in this case is that "all Asians have COVID" or "Asians brought COVID here") affect how people perceive the group of people (In this case, people see Asians as evil).

Categories: For organization

Dark Mode: Represents Serious tone

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How do racial stereotypes affect how people perceive others?

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Could you tell me more about...?
Why do you think that...?
Can you give an example...?
How does this connect to (12AM, This is America)

Have you seen anything like this in the news/real world?
Do you have personal experiences of racism?
Why are stereotypes degrading of the community that they are about?

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If people are hesitant on participating, have them talk to the person next to them about what they think. After 2 minutes of discussion, go around the group and have each pair share out what they discussed about. The discussion will further go on from there.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XJMNjgoQ52UfjdcbURFZmccwZl8h61714A3Dhsb-VkQ/edit?usp=sharing

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Atalii: Painting
Francheska: Podcast
Andrew: Play
Ness: Video
Lucas: Song
Mekhi: Newspaper

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How do racial stereotypes affect how people perceive others?

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How do racial stereotypes affect how people perceive others?

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Language in stanza 2:
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-repetition of "we": most likely representing unity, stating there isn't an individual problem but rather a problem we as a people have to work together on
-"far from polished, far from pristine": alliteration, repetition of "far" emphasizes
-lots of alliteration

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"Let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left," is why the American flag was drawn.
"We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one," Is why there is a person helping someone get up.
"We will rise from the windswept northeast," They are helping each other up the mountain.
"When our forefathers first realized revolution," is why there is a forefather.
"Always light if we're only brave enough to see it," is why there is a sun included.

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Diction in stanza 7:
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-a lot of repetition in words
-explanation makes it seem like everyone has a position; "new age/era"
-see things different from what we've seen in the past
-one long, run-on sentence
-lots of content/info

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Ethos: She does not talk about herself, there is little to nothing talking about her.
"We, the successors of a country and a time where a skinny black girl descended from the slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one."
We can infer that she has big dreams and aspirations and in the position she has gotten to with her dreams, working for the president with her dream being the president, we can see that she is very motivated and has driven herself very close to her dream.
Pathos:
"We've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished."
She talks a lot about the people and the community
Logos:
There are not any logistics in the poem

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In the play, 12 Angry Men, there is no revealed race of the boy. Though, the jurors do hold a grudge against the boy based on where he grew up, which is in the slums. They are quick to assume things, like assuming that he committed the murder because, "He was capable of murder." This related back to the fact that he grew up in the slums, and the previous crimes he committed. This could also relate to his ethnic background or race, but it has not been revealed yet.

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"...quiet isn't always peace and the norms and notions of what just is, isn't always justice."
"...we know our inaction and inertia will be the inheritance of the next generation, our blunders become their burden."

In these quotes that I chose, I like the way Amanda Gorman plays with the words, such as her correlation with "just is" and "justice", as well as the way she repetitively used the prefix "in-". These quotes not only caught my eye in this way, but they also point out that not everything that happens equals justice, and our actions today will affect future generations, so it's up to us to set things right for them.

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1. I think that I have a pretty good understanding on three angry men
2. It isn't hard for me to keep up but i get bored from time to time
3. the film has been helpful to me because it gives me a face and a voice to mach them with.

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"8TH JUROR: I have a proposition to make to all of you. I want to call for a vote. I’d like
you eleven men to vote by secret written ballot. I’ll abstain. If there are still eleven
votes for guilty, I won’t stand alone. We’ll take a guilty verdict in to the judge right now."(Mamet pg 34)

What is happening is a big plot push because as we know the jury is 12 men. 11 of them find the boy guilty, leaving only 1 of them to say that's not guilty which is our 8th juror. Him doing this could just end the life of the verdict, who he has been arguing for. This goes shows bias of the eleven jurors right after as they cheer because they assume it's an easy win. However when one person got up and say that they also agree with the 8th juror, the rest of them got mad and started trying to find out who it was that voted that which led to them blaming the one person that seems to be the most likely to it.

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"That we are notified by mail to come
down to this place and decide on the guilt or innocence of a man we have never
heard of before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict." (Mamet pg 58)

We get to hear the 11th juror talk about democracy and that's kinda why I picked this because governments and politics are very controversial. We get to hear the opinion that 11th juror has who seems to have big ideals that he's now willing to talk about such as how we are actually stronger than we are because we can just judge a person's fate. We are learning more about the opinion of someone who is different from the others. This person is german and he says a lot how he admires America for this. However no one seems to really care about his opinion right after, which is definitely because he's different from them.

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Alliteration helps to create a tone of urgency and puts emphasis on the words being said. It also catches your attention and puts a larger impact on us, as she paused. It also sounds like a repeat, which keeps the audience entertained and surprised.

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I was able to understand a lot of the play and see what each character is like with small details from all of them.
I really understood the plot that was read during the class even though we had some slight hiccups because some of us had computer issues.
This has been helpful in showing me more of the injustice and how personal bias affects a person's judgment even if it can lead to someone's death. It has not been helpful however as I don't know how this would relate to my life other than standing out of the crowd for my own opinion.

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"...for there is always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it."

I chose these lines as they reminded me how mindset is so important, and how what you think impacts what you are capable of doing. It reminded me of Dumbledore's famous quote relating to light.

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1) Now that we have finished Act 1, I've understood the play pretty well so far.
2) I can follow the plot well while we read the story during class, although I do get lost occasionally when annotating.
3) The legal terms vocab sheet that was provided to us before reading this was very helpful as I understand the legal terms used in the script. Nothing has been unhelpful so far.

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"But while democracy can periodically be delayed, but it can never be permanently defeated"

I chose these lines because they reminded me of how America went through a lot of struggles trying to make its democracy. However, it is still standing and we are still called a democracy. Even with bad leaders and etc, America has been able to clap back and solve the situations somewhat democratically.

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1. Out of 10, I would rate my understanding of the play at an 8. I feel that I understand why the jurors are debating, and how they are looking into the details.
2. I am able to follow along the plot pretty well during class, as hearing it being read out loud and following along with my own computer allows me to process the information well.
3. Something that had been helpful to me in understanding the play was doing the class discussions. Hearing different people's points of view allows me to see the play from different perspectives. I haven't found anything that wasn't helpful with my understanding.

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Some stereotypes are that people that come from certain backgrounds are more violent and seek trouble, being more prone to crime. We can see this in the way that the jurors perceive and talk about the boy. Many of the jurors take the way that the boy grew up, as in growing up in the "slums," as a way to justify and assume the actions that the boy may take. This is problematic as it implements a stereotype on the people that grew up in a poorer area, just like how racial stereotypes change the way that people perceive others.

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide

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Covid-19 Fueling Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia Worldwide

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Governments should take urgent steps to prevent racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination linked to the Covid-19 pandemic while prosecuting racial attacks against Asians and people of Asian descent.

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What is Asian Fishing and Why is it Problematic?

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Asian Fishing is a new term that was recently introduced to people. However, its practice have been around for a long time. Learn more!

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People who create great products, but behind them is a lot of racism.

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https://www.healthline.com/health/rise-in-asian-american-discrimination-is-causing-mental-health-crisis

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A recent surge in violent attacks against Asian Americans has captured the nation's attention. In addition to the mass shooting in Atlanta that claimed eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, assaults on Asian Americans have continued to rise at an alarming rate.

Hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S. cities skyrocketed by nearly 150% in 2020, even as overall hate crimes dropped, according to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

That figure may seem surprising to those who haven't previously considered Asian Americans as a particular target for racism over other minority groups.

But discrimination and violence against Asian Americans has been foundational to the population's history in the United States.

America's legacy of exploiting Asian immigrant labor at home while pursuing imperial interventions in Asia has resulted in damaging stereotypes and the violent subjugation of Asian Americans.

Asian Americans who've been trying to call attention to racist attitudes since before the COVID-19 pandemic have often experienced gaslighting from those who glossed over their concerns. For other Asian Americans, the recent spate of attacks has served as a rude awakening that their belonging is more tenuous than once believed.

For some, like me, it may be a combination of both. As a first-generation Asian American born to Indian parents, I feel horrified if slightly removed from recent attacks primarily targeting people of East Asian descent.

Still, when I called out the xenophobia of punch lines at the expense of Asian Americans just before the pandemic hit last year, it felt like I was crying wolf.

Whether Asian Americans foresaw the recent rise in hate crimes or not, the mental health impacts, including heightened rates of anxiety, have been severe.

Asian Americans face particular barriers to accessing appropriate mental healthcare.

This is due partly to reticence when it comes to talking about mental health in many Asian cultures and partly to a lack of competency among mental health professionals to address the specific needs of Asian Americans.

Understanding the historical context for recent anti-Asian discrimination and violence - and its mental health impacts on the community - are essential to paving a path forward.

The first significant wave of Asian immigration to the United States began with Chinese laborers coming to the West Coast during the 1850s Gold Rush. Valued as a cheap workforce, they were also subject to mob attacks.

"The double helix of the Asian American story is the United States wanting Asians to perform labor for the sake of society while ensuring that Asians remain vulnerable to violence and even death," said James Kyung-Jin Lee, associate professor of Asian American Studies at University of California, Irvine.

A similar pattern of labor exploitation and racist violence characterizes the next century-plus of Asian immigration to the United States.

"The recent spate of anti-Asian sentiment and violence is not at all surprising if you take these incidents in the broader context," Lee said.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited immigration from China through the mid-20th century, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, for example, enacted anti-Asian sentiment on a federal level.

But regular attacks have also occurred on an individual scale all along. Among the most infamous is the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American falsely taken for Japanese and beaten to death by men who decried him for stealing American jobs.

America's history of military intervention in Asia, including World War II in Japan and the Vietnam War, has also been integral to how Asian bodies are considered in the American public imagination.

The slaughter of opposing troops and sexual conquest of local women impressed upon generations of American soldiers the perception of Asian men as weak or feminine and Asian women as subservient sexual objects.

The Atlanta killings "speak to a longer history of the ways that Asian women's bodies have been subject to both the desire and the violence of white men" through American wars in Asia, Lee said.

Despite a clear history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States, many Asian Americans have often felt their grievances overlooked.

"There is this feeling among a lot of Asian Americans of, I feel like I've been screaming into an abyss," said Helen H. Hsu, PsyD, former president of the Asian American Psychological Association.

Media representation of Asian Americans has expanded in recent years, with movies like "Crazy Rich Asians" doing big box office, and "Minari" garnering multiple Oscar nominations.

But the persistence of damaging stereotypes about Asian Americans in pop culture signals that anti-Asian racism has not been taken as seriously as racism toward other racial ethnic groups.

That's due in part to the model minority narrative, which casts Asian Americans as a high achieving and "safe" racial group, while setting them in contrast to negative stereotypes about Black and Latinx people.

Not only does the model minority myth minimize wealth disparity among Asian Americans, which is growing more rapidly than among any other racial group in the United States, it's also "a very shallow veneer," Lee said, underneath which lies "persistent, ugly, anti-Asian sentiment."

While Asian Americans have higher levels of integration into predominantly white neighborhoods and schools, any sense of assimilation isn't guaranteed, Lee said.

"Even if you enjoy some measure of wealth or status, your feeling of belonging is always precarious," he said, especially as an immigrant. Subsequent generations also have to contend with being seen as perpetually foreign, even when America is the only country they know.

Many Asian Americans, including the historians and mental health professionals quoted in this story, anticipated the spike in anti-Asian discrimination and violence that has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and was exacerbated by callous, xenophobic messaging from the former Trump administration.

The result has been a burgeoning mental health crisis among Asian Americans.

Stop Asian Hate community rally in San Jose, March 2021. Photo by Jason Leung.

For a lot of American-born Asian Americans in particular, "there is a real rage" and shock over recent events, Hsu said, compared with those who were more accustomed to expect harassment or bias.

Some Asian Americans are even learning about America's history of violence against the community for the first time. While the facts are distressing in themselves, recognizing the history of anti-Asian violence can lessen the burden on individual mental health.

"Understanding the context takes away some of the shame or blame that can come up when people feel targeted," Hsu said. Instead of considering one's emotional response to racism as an individual mental health problem, looking at the larger picture helps people recognize the issue as systemic rather than personal.

Asian Americans are often less equipped to talk honestly about facing discrimination or harassment.

Hsu noted that Black families tend to be more accustomed to talking with their kids about racism, a custom colloquially known as "the talk" among African Americans and race scholars.

But, Hsu said, for many Asian Americans, "Our families rarely gave us the language to process this. I've heard a lot of Asian patients say things like, 'Well, my family said to work hard and stay quiet, then everything will be fine.'"

Stigma toward seeking mental healthcare, or even expressing emotions, is significant among Asian American cultures, Hsu said. Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental healthcare than white Americans, according to data collected in 2012 from the National Latino and Asian American Study.

A lack of cultural competency among mental health professionals in addressing issues specific to Asian Americans is also a big challenge.

"You don't have to be Asian or even a person of color" to be a culturally sensitive therapist, Hsu said. "However, very few therapists actually have this training - and I've heard countless stories of them actually doing harm and committing microaggressions in session."

While major health boards, including the American Psychological Association, have made diversity value statements, "translating that into action is a whole other reality," Hsu said.

Asian American therapists can play an especially vital role in creating space and understanding for those feeling the weight of current events.

"We are in a collective grief and trauma state right now," said Joy Lieberthal Rho, LCSW, a practicing clinician in New York City who is Korean American. "The best thing I can do for my clients is to sit with that and hold it."

Rushing through that grieving process might suggest there's an easy solution. "We really do need to learn this is going to be a very long process," Rho said, adding that conversations sparked by recent unfortunate events have been encouraging.

People have also found comfort in the solidarity of direct action, at rallies and other events calling for awareness and justice. But staying in tune with your own emotional needs is important, too. And for some Asian Americans, that may mean taking a step back.

"The work will always be there," Hsu said. "If somebody needs some time for rest and self-care and to turn off the news for a bit, that's OK."

Bystander training, in which allies learn how to respond in case of witnessing harassment or worse, is one form of direct action to take.

Lindsey Boylan, a progressive candidate for Manhattan borough president, called on New Yorkers to receive training this spring, in the wake of a broad daylight attack on a 65-year-old Filipino immigrant that shook the city. Boylan pointed to the organization Hollaback!, which offers free training sessions regularly.

In relationships with Asian American friends and loved ones, it's important for allies to emphasize listening over talking, Rho said. Taking the initiative to educate themselves, rather than expecting Asian American friends to lay groundwork for them, is also key to being a supportive ally.

"Be somebody who expresses concern but doesn't demand emotional labor," Hsu said.

Donating to organizations committed to supporting Asian Americans is another way to step in and help.

GoFundMe has created Support the AAPI Community Fund as an umbrella resource that's distributed across a range of local organizations. The site hosts individual fundraisers for many different AAPI-focused advocacy groups, as well.

Advocates and organizers have also called on people to support Asian American-owned businesses, which have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic due in part to xenophobia.

Ultimately, there's hope and historical precedent for coalition building among different minority groups in demanding social justice. With outcry over anti-Asian hate rising up concurrently with the Black Lives Matter movement, there's a powerful momentum to keep pushing for more conversation and substantive change.

"As much as possible, we need to not let the story fade into the background," Lee said. "We need to pay attention and help each other."

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Asian Americans Are Facing a Mental Health Crisis From Recent Attacks

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A recent surge in violent attacks against Asian Americans has captured the nation's attention. In addition to the mass shooting in Atlanta that claimed eight lives, including six women of Asian descent, assaults on Asian Americans have continued to rise at an alarming rate. Hate crimes against Asian Americans in major U.S.

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High-profile Minnesota dairy brand Land O'Lakes made national headlines in April 2020 (not easy to do during a pandemic) when it quietly removed the focal point of its logo since 1928: a kneeling Native American woman known as Mia. Mere weeks later, the NFL team from Washington, D.C. finally agreed to retire its highly-controversial moniker. Just how similar are these two stories?

For Land O'Lakes, there had been a growing call by members of the public to retire the character for years. High-visibility incidents of racial trauma in recent years, including a horrifying epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women across North America, put such cultural artifacts under a very high-powered microscope. Mia, in her quaint, pastoral scene, seemed increasingly out of her element in a society actively wrestling with structural racism, white-centered narratives and perspectives, and cultural appropriation. For many, including Land O'Lakes, the time had come to let her go.

Many pushed back with some force, of course, perhaps because, for them, Mia was a symbol of a "simpler time." So the company's April decision renewed a cultural conversation about the roles of mascots. Then the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police intensified focus on American racism in the eyes, ears, minds and hearts of nearly the whole world. Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben were quickly retired-just as Mia had been-and soon the long-maligned "Redskins" name will be added to that list.

But for one Minnesota family, Mia's story is personal, nuanced and complex.

Robert DesJarlait is the son of Patrick DesJarlait, the Red Lake Ojibwe artist who created the version of Mia that most of us have known since 1954. An artist himself, Robert explained the complex history of his father and Mia.

Artist Patrick DesJarlait

Patrick DesJarlait was a modernist in his fine art, creating lush, vibrant, almost Cubist scenes of Ojibwe community life in the first half of the 20th Century. As a commercial artist, Patrick made some pretty hefty contributions-including Mia and the much-beloved Hamm's bear-before returning to fine art. His work is featured at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in Saint Paul.

The 1950s saw a resurgence in interest in Indian themes in popular culture. With artistic pursuits such as the Indianist Movement ( with its own surprising Minnesota ties), deep interest in Native American cultural elements peaked in the early 20th Century. But then the Jazz Age took the world by storm, and culture vultures looked elsewhere for inspiration.

Then after World War II, popular culture exploded with Native themes and characters, though only as two-dimensional foils for the latest craze: the American cowboy. A whole new film genre, Westerns, dominated the box office, and the brand-new television, with its voracious appetite for exciting content, ate up cowboy serials. Subdued by force and hidden away on remote reservations, Indigenous people could now be caricatures in white society's stories, portrayed largely by white actors, with no meaningful effort toward accuracy or empathy. Between the forced relocation of Native children to boarding schools aimed at erasing Indigenous culture and an American public obsessed with stereotypical representations of cowboy sidekicks or enemies, generations of Indigenous children were being raised to despise their own cultures and ancestry.

It was in this cultural milieu that young artist Patrick DesJarlait was tasked with reworking the Land O'Lakes maiden in 1954. Created by a white artist in 1928 and reworked once before in 1939, Mia needed Patrick's help. He pulled from his own life experience to put Mia in a real Minnesota place: The Narrows, where Upper and Lower Red Lake connect. He refined her character, updating her visage and attire, including Ojibwe beadwork designs on her dress. He brought the "O" in Land O'Lakes down so it looked almost like a halo on a Byzantine religious icon. In the end, Patrick's 1954 creation of Mia served as the virtually unchanged centerpiece of Land O'Lakes branding until her retirement in 2020. That's an extraordinarily long tenure in the branding world.

For Robert, Mia's removal was bittersweet. "I've never seen Mia as a stereotype. I know my dad didn't intend to create a stereotype... [He was] trying to show more the beauty of Native women." Robert acknowledges that perhaps, over time, she had devolved into a stereotype, not because of how his father rendered her, but because of how the public is thinking more critically about cultural matters these days.

Robert DesJarlait's book on Native Stereotypes

Robert, who has been active in the anti-mascot movement since 1991, is no stranger to debates surrounding stereotypes. In 1993, he was commissioned to write a short book entitled, Rethinking Stereotypes: Native American Imagery in Non-Native Art and Illustration. In Robert's mind, Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians is a true stereotype: exaggerated features, no cultural context and no Native input. Mia was the opposite: lovingly and accurately portrayed, with genuine cultural context and direct Native input.

Robert understands the Land O'Lakes decision, though he has very mixed feelings about it. He was widely featured in news articles on the matter and even got an op-ed published in the Washington Post. His motivation is not grounded in trying to bring Mia back to the butter box; instead, he wants others to know her true story and that of his father, Patrick.

"Artists always make statements with their art," Robert teases. He then reveals and explains the inspiration behind his own version of Mia, strikingly rendered with incredible attention to detail. Perhaps it's his way of achieving closure with this beloved, complex figure, and restoring to her a fully Native identity unencumbered by the sticky role of commercial functionality.

As problematic logos and mascots continue to fall into history, Minnesotans are increasingly thinking critically about the costs of appropriating other cultures in symbols and stereotypes. Nostalgia is a powerful force, plying us with the comforts of familiarity while blinding our objectivity to the damage our comfort may do to others. Land O'Lakes now plots its marketing future without Mia for the first time in nearly a century.

While Robert DesJarlait mourns Mia's loss, he celebrates his culture through his own unique fine art, depicting Ojibwe women as they lived, worked and dressed centuries ago. And Robert's Mia is not holding a butter box; she's holding manoomin, the wild rice sacred to the Ojibwe people.

This story is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

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Is the Land O'Lakes Maiden a Racist Trope or Symbol of Native Pride?

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High-profile Minnesota dairy brand Land O'Lakes made national headlines in April 2020 (not easy to do during a pandemic) when it quietly removed the focal point of its logo since 1928: a kneeling Native American woman known as Mia. Mere weeks later, the NFL team from Washington, D.C.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/us/trader-joes-jose-ming-joe-san.html

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The company had previously said the names of international-themed products that were intended to promote inclusiveness, such as Trader José and Trader Ming's, "may now have the opposite effect."

A petition created last month said that Trader Joe's "exoticizes other cultures" with certain branded products, like its Trader José beer. Credit... Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Weeks after admitting that some of its international-themed product labels might have fallen short of an "attempt at inclusiveness," the grocery store chain Trader Joe's is rejecting criticism of the labels - some with names like Trader José and Trader Ming's - as racist.

After an online petition denounced the company's use of labels such as Arabian Joe's, Trader Giotto's and Trader Joe San as racist because it "exoticizes other cultures," Trader Joe's announced that it would keep names that it felt still resonated with customers.

"We disagree that any of these labels are racist," the company said in a statement on July 24. "We do not make decisions based on petitions."

"We thought then - and still do - that this naming of products could be fun and show appreciation for other cultures," it said.

Earlier in July, however, Kenya Friend-Daniel, the company's national director of public relations, said the company was in the process of updating labels to bear only the Trader Joe's name.

"While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect - one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day," the spokeswoman said in a statement on July 19. "With this in mind, we made the decision several years ago to use only the Trader Joe's name on our products moving forward."

On Saturday, she said that she had been referring to new products that the company introduced after 2017, not products that existed before then.

"We will continue to evaluate our products, as we always do, and if certain products/product packaging are not resonating well, changes will be made," Ms. Friend-Daniel said.

Asked about the status of other product labels, Ms. Friend-Daniel said that "for the remaining products, we will change packages or discontinue products that do not resonate" with customers.

The spokeswoman added that labels such as Arabian Joe's and Armenian Joe's were no longer in use, and that the label Trader Joe San is currently used on only about three products.

Briones Bedell, who started the online petition that led to renewed scrutiny of the company's labels, said on Saturday she was "honestly surprised" by the company's comments.

"I see it to be a complete reversal to their previous commitment to removing the labels from the international foods," she said.

With her petition, Ms. Bedell, 17, said she wanted to raise awareness of stereotypes that are of a piece with the larger discussions about race happening across the country.

"They rely only on characters and kind of vague ideas and not anything of actual substance or legitimacy," Ms. Bedell said of the labels. "It becomes a tool of othering."

Recently, major food companies have committed to re-examining their use of racist imagery after nationwide protests over police brutality. Quaker Oats said in June it would retire the Aunt Jemima name and image. Mars Foods followed suit only hours later, saying it would "evolve" the Uncle Ben's rice brand.

According to Paul Andrew Galvani, an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Houston, Trader Joe's most likely issued its recent defenses after consulting with customers who are part of its target market - a common practice for retail businesses.

"If their consumers are suddenly up in arms and saying, 'You know what, we're not going to shop Trader Joe's unless you change,' then, like any sensible marketer, they're going to look at that and say, 'Well, when it starts to impact our bottom line, that's when we may have to make a change,'" Mr. Galvani said.

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Trader Joe's Defends Product Labels Criticized as Racist

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The company had previously said the names of international-themed products that were intended to promote inclusiveness, such as Trader José and Trader Ming's, "may now have the opposite effect."

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https://www.adl.org/news/article/rumor-tommy-hilfiger-fashion-not-intended-for-minorities

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Rumor: Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Not Intended for Minorities

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Since the mid-1990s, variations of the internet rumor that Tommy Hilfiger is racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic persist despite the fact that these allegations have been debunked over and over again.

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https://nextshark.com/chip-wilson-lululemon-japanese-pronunciation/

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Lululemon Founder Named the Company Because It Was ‘Funny to Watch’ Japanese People Try to Say It

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Lululemon’s original founder, Chip Wilson, stepped down in December 2013 following some questionable statements, but now the Vancouver-based athletic apparel company is back in the spotlight. if(!window.mobileCheck){window.pubg||(window.pubg={queue:[]});pubg.queue.push(function(){pubg.displayAds()})…

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1. I think that I have a good understanding of the novel so far, with the finishing of act one.

2. I so far have been keeping up and it’s isn’t hard for me to keep up with the plot while reading in class.

3.  Something’s that have been really helpful was the play as a film and the conversations. Nothing really strikes me that is really unhelpful so far, everything is quite relevant to the topic of 12 angry men and to our essential question.

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“We’ve braved the belly of the beast, we’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace and the norms and notions of what just is, isn’t always justice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it, somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished”

I chose these two lines because with feel like it best represents what we have been through and how the state of America is right now.

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The symbolism we found was "brave the belly of the beast," which means that we have been through the toughest part, and we are now learning that the system is corrupt. Another one was, "the loss we carry, a sea we must wade," which means that we must endure hardship and go against the water. Another one was, "The dawn is ours before we do it," which means a new era. The last one we found was, "where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" which shows the hope in the tragedy. There is always hope. It allows us to imagine in our minds a real-life connection of what she actually. It allows us to be more hooked into the poem, as she uses unique references.

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1. Something that I learned about another juror is that juror number 7 is social, sarcastic, and he doesn’t want to be there. He rather send a boy to death and not trouble himself than go to a game of baseball.

2. I think that this experience was good, but idk know if it was better than the campfire. I couldn’t care less.

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Something that I learned from another character that stands out to me is how 7th juror keeps mentioning the ballgame. That's mostly the reason why he doesn't want to be there because he wants to go o the ballgame and just let the kid die.

I think I did okay in this discussion but I do like the campfire more. It just allows us to listen to more perspectives from other people but this on wasn't too bad I liked it too.

From Drew about 8th Juror.

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1. I learned that juror 3 was very supportive of finding the boy guilty and would provide info that was irrelevant or just a bunch of nonsense put together. However, when called out, he couldn't say anything in his defense.
2. I think it was more inclusive compared to a campfire and provided a more comfortable sharing setting.

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1. Something I learned about another character that stood out was about the 3rd juror. I learned that the 3rd juror was relatively shy and didn't speak that much during the juror discussion so far. The group inferred that he didn't really want to be there, and wished to go home, as he wasn't too involved in the discussion.

2. I liked the discussion set up better than the campfire discussion because it felt that everyone was able to talk and be heard. It is easier to talk since it was smaller group. I felt that I was able to help lead the discussion and help it go forward by proposing questions.

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1. juror 6 is more of a lamb because he doesn't really talk out much and doesn't have his own opinions in the conversation

2. this was fine but i like the campfire better