classroom questions

It seems like the readings were basically bombarded with the message that sometimes "being yourself" is not as easy as it sounds especially when you're in a high school and especially when you are of a minority. If you are Asian-American, it almost seems as if you are expected to be smart - the typical stereotype: good with computers, quiet, quick, and sneaky. In one of my old English classes on literary theories, there was one called Orientalism. Orientalism is when a person of Asian background is over exoticised in order to draw mystery or some other kind of attention to that character. It's almost as if schools have taken this very same theory and connected it to real life - assuming that every Asian is alike and they are all very smart. In my placement - my co-op teacher always (and still does) mix up the Asian boys (there are only two) and constantly asks me which is which - it's kind of embarrassing. Even worse is the assumption that if you are Black and you are getting good grades then you are trying to act white and be a wimp. It's ridiculous to think about but when you're in school - reputations make all the difference. So what may be a question to think about is what if you are Asian and you cannot make good grades for the life of you - how do you fit in with your other smart, well adjusting Asian friends? Are these kids the ones that get depressed because they don't feel like they belong? How do you as a white teacher teach "white privilege" or even teach real life experiences to interest the kids when you, yourself has never had these kinds of experiences because you grew up in a safer part of town? How do you get rid of stereotypes in your classroom without drawing attention to certain students and making them feel humiliated?