Jan
6
The Danger of the Single Story
Americans are obese, gas guzzling, patriotic show-offs.
Africans live in mud huts and their children never wear any shoes.
Europeans are pampered sophisticates with no stress because they’ve got free health care and six weeks of vacation.
Asians are shy, passive geeks who excel at math and science.
All Hispanics are Mexican, and to be Hispanic you have to have tan skin, shiny black hair and a last name that ends in -ez. (Lopez, Perez, Rodriguez, etc.)
Human beings have a nasty little habit of sizing up other people, reaching a conclusion and having that conclusion become the “truth” about that particular group of people. Many of us are guilty of this. Even those of us who pride ourselves on being open-minded and progressive.
Check out this fascinating speech by Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian novelist. In it she talks about “the danger of the single story,” the stereotypes that people use to define other people. The video below is almost 20 minutes long but it is definitely worth watching. If you can’t watch the whole speech, fast forward to 8:30 where she talks about visiting Mexico and her reaction to being there. (Also, if you click on the subtitles tab, you can read the speech translated into Spanish. Very nice.)
“I remember walking around on my first day in Guadalajara; watching the people going to work, rolling up to…the marketplace, smoking, laughing. I remember at first feeling slight surprise, and then, I was overwhelmed with shame. I realized that I had been so immersed in the media coverage of Mexicans, that they had become one thing in my mind: abject immigrant. I had bought into the single story of Mexicans and I could not have been more ashamed of myself. So that is how to create a single story: show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.”
January 6th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
I listened to the whole thing. Powerful. TED is amazing.
January 7th, 2011 at 7:54 am
It’s a shame that even in the 21st Century that kind of bias still exist. Unfortunately, we ALL have a single story about someone or someplace. However, like this writer, (if) or better yet, when we free ourselves from that mold, we find that little piece of paradise which is nothing short of liberating and life-changing.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Hi Katrina and Paulette,
Thanks for your comments.
Paulette, I loved what you wrote. I wish more people could hear this speech because the message is so important.
Un saludo,
Eleena
January 17th, 2011 at 2:16 am
We read this in our English class at college… it was simply amazing. She is truly an awesome writer.
January 20th, 2011 at 9:08 am
Love this post. I don’t think I’ve learned a little bit about such a wide variety of topics from one blog post before. Nigeria, Mexico, Spanish Language, English Literature, How To Be A More Open Minded Person…
Thanks!
February 8th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
It is great to see that Ngozi Adichie continues to echo Africa’s literary gian Chinua Achebe’s positions on literary issues. I recall this very topic developed more fully in Achebe’s Home and Exile. It would have been nice if she had done some more research and taken this same argument a little further.
Ciao
N
February 17th, 2011 at 5:34 am
Hi!
This was indeed an interesting post, just like your previous posts. I’m new to this blog and I’ve found it very very interesting, especially for someone new to Spanish language and culture. Waiting for more posts soon.
Umer.
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July 7th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Only just found this but think it is amazing. Thanks for sharing it
September 12th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
hola Elena,
uso y utilizo tu mravilloso sitio hace un rato para mi autoenseñanza de español. espero que siguas hacerlo!
y sí, este video con esta fuerta mujer no es una poca cosa
ciao