How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Everyone in here is trying to live up to the worst cultural stereotype possible." (6.115)
Stereotypes seem to hold a lot of currency in the slammer.
Quote #8
"Those Puerto Ricans, it's like they don't even know they're in jail, they're always laughing and dancing like idiots!" sneered tall, mopey Sally, who wanted everyone to be as miserable as she was. And as ignorant—Camila was Colombian, not Puerto Rican. (10.8)
The only thing worse than stereotyping people is being so ignorant that you stereotype the wrong people. Being racist toward the wrong race is just piling ignorance on top of ignorance—a stack of ignorant pancakes, except without any of the deliciousness of pancakes.
Quote #9
Ghada was from Lebanon but lived had lived in South America for many years and so was fluent in Spanish. […] Because of her long resident in Latin America, Ghada was an honorary Spanish mami. (10.10)
When dividing up by race in prison, sometimes you just have to go with the closest cultural approximation.