The widespread diversity and potpourri of cultures in countries across the world, especially countries like the United States of America, has resulted in the loss of cultural identity in people, and what remains of their identity—stereotypes—are the characteristics others choose to place upon you. The rejection of a race or culture in society results in generalizations that can be rather harsh and offensive. In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Sherman Alexie amalgamates humor and sorrow to show that you must break the stereotypes placed on you by society to find out the deeper truth about yourself and your real identity that has been masked by stereotypes your whole life.
Racism and stereotypes exist because people fear a loss of their own culture. The majority wants to dictate over the minorities in fear that the assimilation of these minorities into their own culture will adulterate their traditions in their own society. When Alexie goes for a drive to blow off steam in a nice residential neighborhood, he gets pulled over by a cop who tells him that he “doesn’t fit the profile of the neighborhood.”(Page 183) The police officer judged Alexie based on that he was a Native American and was probably up to something suspicious. The cop, who doesn’t know Alexie at all, simply worries that the presence of a Native American poses a danger for the neighborhood.
In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Alexie shows his struggle of fitting into American society and his challenge of breaking people’s personal perceptions of him as a Native American. For example, when Alexie goes to 7-11, the clerk was “…searching for some response that would reassure him that I wasn’t an armed robber. He knew this dark skin and long, black hair of mine was dangerous. I had potential.”(Page 183) After he asks the clerk if he knows the words to “The Brady Bunch” theme song, he breaks the clerk’s stereotypes on him.
When you don’t fit into the profile of the majority, you are a possible victim to stereotypes. That is why you must stand your ground, like Sherman Alexie, to break the stereotypes that are placed upon you by society.
Stereotypes, eh? That's a touchy subject. A lot of people could go on massive rants about that. I can't, though. I do run with my shirt on my head, though, and old people give me looks as if I'm high on marijuana or something. Although they have a point, it's not every day you see a completely sober person running around with a shirt on their head. I mean, seriously, who in their right mind runs for fun?
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