Confused, You are absolutely right that Stereotyping is wrong. BUT everyone does it. You can?t tell me that if you see something your initial thoughts don?t enter your mind. If not, how can we react to anything? This is a human characteristic. If you don?t think so then why during a job interview do you need to look nice and act well behaved. It?s about first impressions. My initial impression was that these kids are copying an Afro-urbanite style. This style is representational of being rebellious (to family or school). Someone actually knows them and this not the case. So, I now know better. But, if they want other people not to think as I did, they should change their style. I am sure they are aware of it, but in front of their peers they look cool and hip. Everyone follows their own style which is natural but there are drawback to that. This what I am trying to say.