Prejudice

A lot of times when we hear the word prejudice we automatically assume it has to do with race, which could be the case but not all the time. Prejudice can be found everywhere when it comes to gender, culture, religion, and sports. The definition of prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. So our own prejudices basically are for no reason or what we have been, though. We learn these prejudices because of our parents,the news, our experience, and the people were around. Prejudice has been a problem in our world since the beginning of time most of our historical events is off prejudices like segregated schools, the murder of Jewish people by the Nazis in World War 2, and slavery.
We still see prejudices today, I know for me, I would overhear my fellow classmates talk bad about African Americans because of what they saw in the news.
A good example of this is the Baltimore riots, I remember coming to class hearing students talk about how every black person from the hood are criminals because of what the news showed. They didn't even care to know what they were protesting for. Another example is every time I go to a convenience store the clerk always watches me and my friends thinking were stealing. Like I said early being prejudice is without knowledge and reason. Sadly this world is full of people having a negative perspective about others, even if they don't know them. Unfortunately, I’m part of that group that has a personal opinion about a different race or culture. To say I don't have any prejudices against others or another's culture I’ll be lying. I’m not happy about the opinions I have but it automatically goes off in my head when I see or hear something that I don’t agree with. My
prejudices towards others originated from friends, T.V. shows, but mainly what I see online and family. The internet has influenced a lot of people and I happen to be one of the internet's victims. I basically grew up with the internet and it built most of my opinion up to where it is now. As a little kid I use to read articles about the world and would hear about a country doing harm to other countries, so I formed a bias opinion on that country and it's hard to break when one grows up because it's been with you all your life. It's like a smoker trying to stop smoking it's tough to break. Also growing up in a Nigerian household your parents are going to shape the way you think. I know for me my parents would always tell me that Yoruba people( a tribe in Nigeria ) are greedy people and selfish and this was passed down by their parents. I use to hear this every day and it kept ringing in my head every time I heard or seen a Yoruba person. It's like telling your children the black race is bad, the children know no better so they listen and grow to still believe in what their parents told them and that is me in this case. We're just going to believe what our parents are saying because they're our protectors and can't do us wrong. Having all these bias opinions about certain groups in the world made me seem like a hateful person which I’m not it just these stereotypes about others just keep popping up and for some reason, I started to believe it. Also, I don't talk much about other people culture because I didn't want to offend anyone .
For some people, they have this outlook on others because of their experiences. But for me, I really never encountered these prejudices before in life. I hold these prejudices because I grew up hearing them and if one keeps hearing it over and over again, it just continues to mold the way one thinks. Also, growing up I had no other option but to listen to my parents and I was a little boy so everything they said had to be true because they're older than me they seen more than me in life. Also, what do you know as a 6 -six- old boy you're going to believe anything your parents say because they can't do you wrong. I don't feel great having these stereotypes of people, but as I’m getting older I’m trying to change the way I view the world and give everyone a chance before I have a bias opinion on them. By changing the way I view others, it will change me to be more open because having prejudices does have a negative effect on people. Either they are scared to approach a certain someone or they don't want to be friends because of their religion or culture. Also, prejudices just make one see the world as a gloomy place all these unfavorable stereotypes brings no happiness to the world. That's why every day when I wake up I try to get rid of the stereotypes I have on others, like when I see a Yoruba person I try to cut off all the negative in my head. And it’s working because I’m beginning to see them in a positive aspect also all the Yoruba people I meet were extremely nice to me. So that helps me out in my quest to change.
To conclude, prejudices against race, religion, culture, etc is a dangerous way to view others.
Being prejudices helps no one it just makes one a hateful person. Even if someone experienced it we should learn how to forgive everyone deserves a second chance. Everybody in this world deserves a fair chance to be viewed I’m starting to realize that. As I continued to grow I’m going to be wiser and notice I was close minded. The more we think negatively about people the more our world is going to hate which a horrible thing. This world needs to treat everyone the same, so it could be a better place. We were put on this earth to care for each other and I’m trying to fulfill that every single day. Furthermore, parents need to monitor what their kids are watching or hearing because it does influence the way kids think. In addition we adults need to start teaching our younger generation how to show people respect and kindness. If we start this now our future leaders will unite this world to be a peaceful place where everyone can live without judging each
other.