ABSTRACT
"Stereotype" has been something of a dirty word for a long time among social scientists, many of whom have taken the position that when it comes to racial and ethnic groups, they are an indication of one's prejudices. As a result, many researchers have turned their attention to why people stereotype without so much as a second glance at the stereotypes themselves. A great deal of research has been done about different cultures, and we can make some tentative judgements. Moreover, the uniqueness and variety represented by the different nationalities that comprise the American people ought not to be something we are ashamed to speak about. It should be a source of pride. Those aspects of a culture that are negatively perceived by others cannot, however, be ignored since most people are aware of them anyway, at least on a subjective level.
