Perhaps it's from having them as friends that these people come to realise that the stereotypes have truth in them, and that there are good reasons to be prejudiced against certain groups. I have Swedish friends who know from first-hand experience that the local Gypsies really do shoplift at the drop of a hat (they have some sort of pouch in those big skirts that they can drop things into), and that the Middle-Eastern, Russian and eastern European immigrants really do form violent criminal gangs (but they're friends with them, and are thus protected).
Well I'm Swedish and I say that my local Gypsies OWNS a shop (they always have a large sale
), and Middle-Eastern immigrants are known for their big hearts and hospitality (I love going home to my Middle-Eastern friends!), the russians I know have a thing for drinking and making everyone laugh by telling bad jokes (And then they get laugh attacks which is almost impossible to stop!) and Eastern Europeans usually end up as goth and emo (nothing wrong with them really, well, at least not with the goth). Altough a few of them might be in gangs, I know more inbred Swedish guys that's in gangs.