Prism

Prism is a pretty big culture for me that's something I encounter everyday at school. I don't know how I didn't think of writing about it before! Must be an testament to how subtle and taken for granted cultures can be sometimes....

A lot of people at school seem to make assumptions about "Prism Kids." Smart, nerdy, Asian. Sometimes they assume stuck-up and overachieving, inflexible and socially idiotic.

I don't feel particularly limited by the stereotypes, though. While people announces such stereotypes, when people find out I'm a "Prism Kid," it doesn't seem like I'm treated any differently. I think ultimately, if people are receptive and willing to understand, stereotypes can be erased and eliminated quite effectively. When I tell people I'm a prism kid after having known them for a while, they're usually surprised, and kind of have an "Oh" moment that causes them to think that some of their original opinions don't really apply.

But thinking more about it, I also guess that some stereotypes, especially those tied to race, won't be as simple to resolve as being labeled "Prism." Being "Prism" isn't really something that's obvious from just looking at someone. On the other hand, someone's race is pretty obvious, and that creates a first impression the moment someone is seen. So the preconceptions are already in place, and a person can become close-minded towards someone they've already judged with stereotypes, regardless of how the judged person might actually be....