Slight Words, Big Impacts
People’s biases against marginalized groups often reveal themselves in the form of microaggressions. The term “microaggressions” was originally coined by psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce, MD, in 1976 to specifically describe the insults and slights against Black people that he had witnessed. The definition has broadened since then to include other minority groups’ experiences with less overt forms of racism and discrimination. Microaggressions express prejudiced attitudes and most often appear as less-noticeable, verbal statements and body language; they are deleterious to the receiver because they often perpetuate harmful stereotypes and are seemingly hidden within everyday life.
Though microaggressions may not be as blatant, that does not mean that they should not be addressed. Microaggressions build hostility towards marginalized groups, most often in situations that otherwise lack malicious intent. Most of the people who commit microaggressions do so indirectly, subtly, and unintentionally, but these implicit biases cause large amounts of harm and pain. In the case of microaggressions, impact is more important than intention.
It is important to distinguish between microaggressions and macroaggressions. While macroaggressions are often explicit and violent, microaggressions appear as sharp stings and barbs and are written off as a “joke.” For example, a comment on a POC’s ability to speak English well, even though they are an American citizen, is an example of a microaggression. Though it may just seem like it was a slight verbal misstep, microaggressions can lead to higher rates of depression and mortality. Their long-term impacts on the recipient’s mentality, understanding of safety, and interpersonal connections with others lead to much more serious effects.
Most people are guilty of microaggressions, though they are often committed by people in a place of privilege. As many who commit microaggressions are unaware of them, it is important to analyze the intent behind such events. Recognizing the intention behind someone’s hurtful statement can help determine how these perpetrators would react to being called out on the microaggressions they commit. A common reaction for those who commit microaggressions is a defensive attitude when confronted. Therefore, learning how to help yourself and others recognize when one carries out microaggressions is necessary to maintain control over instances of discrimination and keep the situation from escalating to violence.
Approaching learning with a multi-faceted pedagogy is one way to combat microaggressions. In such a teaching process, learners would need to raise awareness, take action, and demonstrate the consequences of their actions while making reparations. A good starting point to raise awareness would be increasing the efficacy of your attempts to engage in future conversations about microaggressions, making sure that microaggressions aren’t simply glossed over when people try to raise awareness, and rather thoroughly explored and understood. Purposefully avoiding said discussions can actually increase the likelihood that one will perform a microaggression, so being able to discuss these daily verbal and behavioral indignities would be highly beneficial.
Additionally, before taking action, learners must recognize that microaggressions are cumulative. Microaggressions aren’t an isolated event, but rather a system of interconnected microaggressions that slowly weigh down its bearer. Thus, knowing that an isolated response to a microaggression of an individual may be about more than the isolated microaggression is salient when analyzing experiential and subjective experiences throughout one’s action.
Furthermore, when making reparations (and gauging the impact one’s words has on others), pledging oneself to the study of microaggressions—understanding powerful emotions, harrowing subjective experiences, internalized biases and beliefs, and manifesting objective—would be most significant. Engaging with others on the topic of microaggressions may seem intimidating, but the pursuit to reduce their frequency is truly a noble one.
There are numerous resources available and stories to hear from, so we must all pledge ourselves to a collective commitment to pursuing equity, inclusion, and interpersonal understanding. We must all intersectionality support each other’s ability to resist microaggressions, so that we may listen to the voices of those who are silenced. Only by opening up our hearts, along with our minds, can we learn about true belonging and community justice.
