Microaggressions Are Not Micro

Microaggressions Are Not Micro

Microaggressions have been defined as death by a thousand cuts.

There's nothing micro about them.

Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation are defined as:

“The everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership (from Diversity in the Classroom, UCLA Diversity & Faculty Development, 2014).

The first step in addressing microaggressions is to recognize when a microaggression has occurred and what message it may be sending. The context of the relationship and situation is critical." 

For example, a “Second Class Citizen” microaggression is demonstrated by:

• Faculty of color mistaken for a service worker
• Female doctor mistaken for a nurse
• People of Color being ignored at a store counter as attention is given to the White customer
• Colleagues in meetings give male or white assign credit for ideas generated by Black people or women
  
  

Additional microaggression themes include:

• Alien in One’s Own Land
• Ascription of Intelligence
• Color Blindness
• Assumption of Criminal Status
• Denial of Individual Racism/Sexism/Heterosexism
• Myth of Meritocracy
• Traditional Gender Role Stereotyping
• Pathologizing certain values/communication styles
• Sexist/heterosexist Language

More examples may be found in this tool: Recognizing Microaggressions and the Messages They Send.

How can you disrupt microaggressions in yourself or with colleagues, friends and family? 

Fellow leaders and learners, I wish you courage and resilience for the journey.