It feels rather too harsh to accuse science fiction (Star Trek certainly) of bigotry. At worst you could say weak writing, but I don't think that's typically the case either. Don't forget, these races are fictional creations usually dreamt up to make a point or to tell a particular type of story.
A typical Star Trek MO is to create a society with one very specific, pronounced cultural trait so it can hold up a magnifying glass to that aspect of our culture, without all the real-world baggage in the way. These episodes are like hypothetical questions with funny foreheads and the occasional phaser battle.
You mention Rom in this post, but don't forget that he did actually quit working in the bar and became a great engineer. And Nog joined Starfleet and became a capable cadet. Even Quark had countless episodes when the writers made him face the consequences of his greed. My point is, they're not all two dimensional stereotypes, they're certain types of character in service of a certain type of story.
Another example: The Borg. The first time we meet them they are soulless killing machines. The second time they try and take over Earth and end our civilisation. The third time they meet one in isolation and come to empathise with it. Even the Borg aren't as one-dimensional as they seem. This is not a show looking to peg any particular species as any one thing.
Star Wars, maybe you have a point. A lot of those races seem to be imitating human racial stereotypes without trying to make a bigger point about cultures and attitudes. But I'm not really well versed enough to be sure. Same for fantasy races. If Dwarves were all multi-dimensional complex beings, what would make them Dwarves? Just their appearance? Somehow I think that would result in less interesting stories, not more.
A typical Star Trek MO is to create a society with one very specific, pronounced cultural trait so it can hold up a magnifying glass to that aspect of our culture, without all the real-world baggage in the way. These episodes are like hypothetical questions with funny foreheads and the occasional phaser battle.
You mention Rom in this post, but don't forget that he did actually quit working in the bar and became a great engineer. And Nog joined Starfleet and became a capable cadet. Even Quark had countless episodes when the writers made him face the consequences of his greed. My point is, they're not all two dimensional stereotypes, they're certain types of character in service of a certain type of story.
Another example: The Borg. The first time we meet them they are soulless killing machines. The second time they try and take over Earth and end our civilisation. The third time they meet one in isolation and come to empathise with it. Even the Borg aren't as one-dimensional as they seem. This is not a show looking to peg any particular species as any one thing.
Star Wars, maybe you have a point. A lot of those races seem to be imitating human racial stereotypes without trying to make a bigger point about cultures and attitudes. But I'm not really well versed enough to be sure. Same for fantasy races. If Dwarves were all multi-dimensional complex beings, what would make them Dwarves? Just their appearance? Somehow I think that would result in less interesting stories, not more.