Another Stereotype of the Month entry:
Another Stereotype of the Month entry:
A correspondent writes:
Hi Rob,
There is a Wooden Indian holding a pizza board outside of a CHAIN pizza place called Pizza Schmizza, I think that is the correct name...and I'd like to ask them to remove it....
I realize you are very busy, but if you should find a chance to get back to me sometime, could you please let me know if you have dealt with these kinds of places in the past, and how best to approach them? Do you have a suggested informational sheet I could print out that would put it in plain non-disputable fact form? I can try to do this as well, but am worried sometimes I don't know things as I should, and don't wish to give misinformation. You seem to be able to disprove the common respsonses from those who see no wrong in this...so, if you had a suggested piece of information, anything at all, I would like to send to the company, as I don't think walking into the store and dealing with the employees of the company will resolve anything at all....
Well, thank you for your time, I appreciate it.
Anne Marie
Rob's reply
>> I realize you are very busy, but if you should find a chance to get back to me sometime, could you please let me know if you have dealt with these kinds of places in the past, and how best to approach them? <<
I usually deal only with people online. I've discussed the stereotype issue online with a few perpetrators who read my response. Sometimes the discussion persuades them and sometimes it doesn't.
Some of the activists I know have approached people in person about a Native stereotype. The posting titled Kan. Church Displays Cutout of Bug-Eyed, Big-Nosed Chief shows an approach that was successful. I'd try something like that.
>> Do you have a suggested informational sheet I could print out that would put it in plain non-disputable fact form? <<
A non-disputable fact form about how wooden Indians are wrong? No, this is just an opinion.
You can point to how Indians aren't stoic or wooden—how they and their cultures are full of humor—but I doubt that will convince anyone. If people feel a wooden Indian is wrong, it is, but you can't prove their feelings are "right."
Rob
P.S. Neither of the Indians shown here are the Pizza Schmizza Indian. They're just typical examples of the wooden Indian.
Related links
Wooden cigar-store Indians
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