Stella Young, while claiming not to be an inspiration, helped me to think of ways in which the general population stereotypes different groups and how my own experiences here in the United States, as well as at home in the UAE, have felt these stereotypes. I too have passed judgment on people by making assumptions about their physical appearance and their bodily abilities.

Young’s story about being offered a nomination for an achievement award was an eye-opening one. People who look at her life without necessarily getting to know her did not realize that her life is ordinary. She did things in her daily life that millions of girls do around the world. She went to school, had a part time job, and laughed with her friends. None of these things are any different from a typical teenager going through the strife of life. But because she is disabled and spends her days in a wheelchair it is easy to think that her life is extraordinary and that she is an inspiration.

As Young describes her story, it is easy to realize, that she feels victimized by the description. By considering her as an inspiration that indicates that she is less than a nondisabled person. Her ability to have a life similar to that of a person who isn’t disabled should not be considered remarkable. She is not special or remarkable. She is simply a person. I’m sure that people who do know her, her friends and family, know that she is a wonderful person but is accommodating her life as any able bodied person would. Stereotypes have been created that make the masses feel that people with disabilities cannot function properly in life.

Stereotypes are everywhere. Practically every group of people have felt the pressures of stereotypes against them as well as against others. I have felt stereotypes at home and here at school as well. In the United States, it is unusual to be married with a child so young as well as still be in school. People either leave high school, go to work full time and possibly find a spouse or they go on to continue their education and leave serious relationships until after graduation. My situation is entirely normal in the UAE. Rarely do people have a spouse and child at the same time as they are still in university. My friends who are in university think it is inspirational that I can handle all of my school work at the same time as supporting my family. My friends who have wives and work full-time think it’s crazy that I can try to do everything. They don’t realize that my life is nothing inspirational or difficult. It is simply the choice I made and the way our relationship evolved.

I have felt the stigma of stereotypes heavily while here in the United States. My life, cultural background, and religion are very different from those of my classmates. They have had difficulty understanding my daily life at home but the characteristic which has caused the most stereotyping behavior is the fact that I am a Muslim from a Middle Eastern country. No one has made any direct mentions of terrorism, but there have been some insinuations and curious looks. My faith has never been associated with violence. None of my friends or family have ever made any comments regarding violence against those who are against Islam. The way that Muslims are portrayed in the United States simply is not the way that billions of Muslims truly are.