The term "stereotype" is usually considered to be negative, as it’s seen as something that lumps groups of people together — sometimes without considering individuals.

For example, people of Asian descent can be labeled as smarter than their peers in the areas of math and science. That can lead to other problems.

We learned more about positive and negative stereotypes from Todd Pittinsky of Stony Brook University and retired educator Rachel Misra, whose family moved to the United States from India in 1973.