In his book, The Truth About Stories, Thomas King spoke about being mistaken as Mexican, a reminder that some things may never change. Despite progress in addressing stereotypes and prejudices, instances of mistaken identity based on race or ethnicity continue to occur. While I have never experienced it myself, my little sister has a bit of an exotic(not my description, just a word that has often been used about her) look to her, and when she was younger, we were often asked if she was adopted (which she is not).
Literature and popular culture are filled with examples of characters being stereotyped. From the "angry Black man" trope to the "exotic Asian woman," these harmful stereotypes perpetuate negative assumptions and limit people's potential. Thankfully, as we move forward, we see less of these stereotypes being portrayed in media and books, but there is still a long way to go.
While progress has been made, the persistence of stereotypes is a stark reminder that there's still much work to be done. I'm not saying my life has always been great, I grew up in community housing, but I am a white girl who has never had to deal with the same level of discrimination and prejudice that many people of color face on a daily basis. This makes me realize that I need to be more aware if I expect everyone else to do the same.