Minority groups as a whole are becoming the fastest growing groups in the overall United States population. According to the 2010 United States Census Bureau, approximately 36 percent of the population belongs to a minority group, and that number is growing. In the next few decades, the number of minorities living in the United States is expected to exceed the number of majorities. When I say minorities, I am referring to racial and ethnic groups, including Native Americans (American Indian), Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic or Latino, and other races or people with more than two races.

In this article, I will be focusing more on African Americans and Hispanics in this country, and will be addressing the many issues, stereotypes, and misconceptions they face everyday. African Americans and Hispanics are the top two minority groups in the United States, Hispanics being the fastest growing minority. Both groups typically live in the same urban communities and work alongside each other. Both have achieved amazing things for this country big and small, yet both still are not respected overall and go through a lot to make it in this country.

African Americans and Hispanics, along with the many other ethnic minorities in the United States, deal with a lot of pain and struggle everyday that tends to be ignored by the rest of America. No matter how many times an issue dealing with a minority ethnic group gains national attention, somehow eventually that issue will be forgotten or left alone, many cases without an attempt to try and call for some kind of change. In addition to racism, discrimination, and prejudice that unfortunately still exists in this country, African Americans and Hispanics are also dealing with high unemployment, poverty, health issues and disease, poor education, immigration reform for Hispanics, and stereotypes and misconceptions, which is what I will be talking about in this article.

Our society is super judgmental towards everyone! For some reason, people just cannot embrace uniqueness and accept the fact that everyone is different. People also tend to stereotype and come up with crazy ideas and opinions about an entire group of people just because a few actually show those ideas. Just because, a few people act a certain way, does not mean the entire group they belong to act the same way. Stereotyping others is wrong and unless everyone starts being respectful to one another, embrace individuality and being different, actually get to know people, and be willing to understand and appreciate their culture and way of life, then this world would be a better place for everyone. But if not, then stereotypes will continue to affect people lives for the worse...