Echoes of the Past:
My Journey with Stereotype and Prejudice

It is important to distinguish between stereotyping and prejudice. Stereotyping happens when a broad assumption is made about a group - even if it seems "positive." For example, the assumption that all Asians are computer geniuses is a stereotype. It flattens a whole group into one trait.

Prejudice is different. It happens when that assumption is negative, turning into dislike, exclusion, and even hatred. I have experienced both, and I have learned that while one is more violent, both are ways of refusing to see a person for who they truly are.

The Rumble:
"School Spirit" Turned Sour

I attended York Memorial High School at Keele and Eglinton in Toronto. I remember one particular football game against Forest Hill High School. I say "we" had a game with them, but I use that word with irony, because what happened next made me feel like I didn't belong at all.

The violence was planned. Someone at "my" school had a flag made that said, "Go to Hell, Forest Hill." On its own, that might have been typical, aggressive school patriotism. But under the words, on that flag, was a Star of David.

The game turned into a rumble. The players from my school attacked the Forest Hill players, and other students joined in. The Forest Hill team was greatly outnumbered, and the injuries were real - I remember one player left with a broken leg.

I went back to the locker room and stood there by my locker for a long time, alone and afraid to go out. Looking back, there was nothing I could have done differently in that moment. It was a raw, terrifying look at how quickly a group can turn prejudice into a weapon.

The Party: The Labeling
A "Jewish Girl"

Years later, in my mid-twenties, I experienced the "polite" side of labeling. A girlfriend asked me to accompany her to a gathering. It was a friendly atmosphere, and at the entrance, the host was introducing each guest with an interesting fact about their life.

He introduced my friend: "This is Camille, she works at..." and he mentioned her profession. Then it was my turn.

The host looked at me and said, "This is Susan. Susan is a Jewish girl."

Everyone nodded politely. I felt no malice or hatred, but I felt a strange shift. Simply by being introduced that way, the guests felt they already knew me. In their minds, I had been filed away under a category before I even opened my mouth.

I simply nodded hello, but inside, I felt diminished. I often wonder what I could have done differently. Perhaps I could have reclaimed the moment by adding something about my travels or my career, pointing out something personal, showing that I was more than just a label.

"You Don't Look Jewish"

Even today, when people hear my last name - Schulman - I often get the question: "Are you Jewish? You don’t look Jewish." If they say it out loud, I am ready with a witty reply: "How interesting! Are you Christian? You don't look Christian."

But more often, they don't say it. I just see the surprise on their face, followed by that look of "recognition" - the moment they think they have me figured out. I'm still learning how to handle that silent labeling. It's a reminder that the work my mother began - to be a "Quiet Witness" to the truth of who people are—is a journey that never truly ends.