Wow, I didn't notice that the thread had developed like this after I left. I guess some of you didn't understand the context of what I was saying; perhaps I assumed that you knew enough about Newark, New Jersey.
Newark, New Jersey is a city that is overwhelmingly minority, mostly African-American, and is one of the poorest cities in the U.S. So, when I say that me knowing a little bit of Japanese makes me weird it's just true, even if I have stereotyped a group of people. The probability that you will find an African-American who speaks Japanese in Newark, NJ is infinitesimal.
But more than that, stereotypes in-and-of-themselves are not bad. It's the context in which they are used that determines whether or not they're good or bad. Minstrel shows of white people in black face stereotyping African-Americans as watermelon and fried chicken eatin' savages is quite different from me saying that there are very few black people in Newark, NJ who speak Japanese.
Finally, I only mentioned my race/ethnic background as a way to emphasize my awkwardness. The fact that I'm black and know a little bit of Japanese juxtaposed against the (unlikely) possibility that I would also know what lucky star was meant to produced an absurd sort of irony. I.e. one thing is already outside the norm and the other (knowing what lucky star is) is even more outrageous.
