Sorry about the problem you're in. I love writing poetry, and even I have times where I cannot think of anything to write about.
Bono's probably gone through that as well, if that helps you feel any better.
Ethnic stereotypes, eh? Well, let's see, there's the whole reverse discrimination thing that goes on sometimes...white people being called "cracker" and all that by people of other races who don't trust white people...hopefully that could help you some.
You should not be forced to write poetry, I wholeheartedly agree. Some kids in my creative writing class hated the poetry unit because they just do not like writing poetry, they think they suck at it (actually, though, when I read some of their poems in our class's creative writing booklet, there was some pretty good poems in there-they may hate writing poetry, but I liked what I did read from them). People don't like being forced to do something they don't want to do.
One other thing to consider when writing poetry-my friend Will, who loves poetry, met this poet who lives in Minnesota. He says that he doesn't like it when he sees kids from the Plains writing about snow-capped mountains and deep oceans and all that, 'cause we don't have mountains or oceans here in the Plains. He feels poets should write about what they know, what they experience in their daily lives. And that makes sense. Cornfields may not seem an ideal thing to write a poem about, but I could think of some good poems with those.
And so that's another reason why this assignment's stupid-everyone gets discriminated against at some point and time-but not everyone deals with racism. I have never, ever, in my entire life been called a racist name. Not everyone deals with ethnic discrimination, so how could you possibly write about something you may have never experienced?
Okay, now I'm babbling and getting somewhat off topic, but hopefully you'll think of something with the assignment. Good luck.
Angela