They're not "ordinary people" like Americans or Germans. There is a face people (especially educated people) from these countries like to put on. "Oh, we are just like you." Except the normalization of domestic abuse; inhumane treatment of servants; strict gender roles; condemnation of homosexuals; the deep-seated racism. In the country where my parents come from, 87% of women are the victims of domestic violence: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/In-Bangladesh,-87-per-cent-of....
It's not a "media stereotype." I'm speaking from first-hand experience. I've seen most of the above in my own extended family (which is all educated and upper middle class). It's the dirty laundry and it's deeply ingrained in culture. Obviously, a lot of people do embrace western values. But I've met plenty of educated people from those countries with a western education whose are still trapped by their culture. They might be hackers who code, but they also think women shouldn't work.
It's not a "media stereotype." I'm speaking from first-hand experience. I've seen most of the above in my own extended family (which is all educated and upper middle class). It's the dirty laundry and it's deeply ingrained in culture. Obviously, a lot of people do embrace western values. But I've met plenty of educated people from those countries with a western education whose are still trapped by their culture. They might be hackers who code, but they also think women shouldn't work.