Create Diversity Tip Six: Not everyone has family history hanging on the wall.
I am German. It’s my German ancestry that gives me my red hair. I get it from thin Northern Germans and Vikings. Other than my hair color, which most people think is Irish, there is nothing German about me. I don’t have coo-coo clocks on the wall. I don’t eat Bratwurst or drink bear. I do like sauerkraut.
Your character does not have to be the poster child for a culturally rich PC person. Your hero might have grown up Jewish, but now cooks pork chops for dinner. Your black character can grow up in a loving home in the suburbs and never have to deal with gangs and can’t fire a gun. Not every gay person can decorate a room. Not every lesbian can change a tire.
You don’t have to give your character an ethnic name or dress them ethnically either. Your east Indian woman might have a sari for special family functions but her closet is filled with blue jeans and tee shirts.
People are rich and diverse. The color of their skin, whom they sleep with, and how they pray is only one small aspect of who they are. Mix it up. Stretch boundaries and challenge stereotypes.
How do you challenge stereotypes in your life or with your characters?
Music Monday-
Here’s a fun Arabic song- I actually think the group is from England but I can’t find it by itself so enjoy the belly dance and the chicky chicky song.
Don’t know where the musicians come from, but Ansuya is based in Miami FL. Here’s a link to her page:
http://www.ansuya.com
She teaches classes in person, DVD and BellySkype if you want to get your shimmy on.
I didn’t know about bellyskype- how cool. Ansuya toured with belly dance superstars.
I band is from England- I think.
Nice dancing. I think it might have been on your blog that I found another video of belly dancing and I purchased it and forgot about it. This makes me want to open it up and try it for the exercise benefits.
Patti
It’s a lot of fun! You should give it try 🙂
Oh that brought back memories. I took belly dancing classes for awhile…and discovered that my lack of dancing talent was completely across the board! 🙂
I don’t know that I consciously try to challenge stereotypes. I’ve been called eccentric, weird, strange…and I don’t care. I don’t fit any mold and I’m okay with that. I try to make my characters unique, too. Mostly normal, but with their own quirks and differences.
I use to take classes too- I wan it get back into it, when I have more time.
I think making your characters unique is the best way to push a stereotypes without being obvious. Yeah for all the eccentric, strange, unique peole in the world.
Don’t know why but the song shake shake your booty came to mind. LOL
I enjoyed this post – from one German to another 😉
Thank you Cat!