What to Know About Microagressions

What to Know About Microagressions

Have you given "The Look?"

What to know about microaggressions

A microaggression is a comment or action that negatively targets a group of people. A microaggression can be intentional or accidental. It is a form of discrimination.

Often times, people that use microaggressions may no harm towards the person. They may not even realize they are making a microaggression.

It is usually clear when someone is being discriminated against. However, a microaggression may be harder to identify.

Microaggressions may be based on:

• socioeconomic status

• disability

• gender and/or gender expression

• race

• religion

• ethnicity

Types of Microagressions

• Verbal: comment or question that is hurtful to a certain group of people

• Behavioral: someone behaves in a way that is hurtful or discriminatory

• Environmental: subtle discrimination occurs within society

Examples of Microaggressions

• Scheduling tests/projects on cultural/religious holidays

• Having students engage in required reading where the protagonists are always white

• Setting low expectations for students from particular groups

• Assigning tasks based on gender roles

• Assuming all students have access to use of technology

• Expecting students of a particular group to "represent" their race

• Assuming the gender of any student

Common Microagressions

Why the comment is offensive..

'You are so articulate' or "You don't sound black.'

The remark may seems like a compliment, but it is offensive to Black people. When a non-Person of Color makes the statement, it implies that they did not hear intelligence from a Black person.

'All lives matter.'

All lives do matter, but in this context it's Black lives that seem to matter less when they're not being treated with respect.

'I'm not racist. I have a " " friend.'

This statement equates racism with prejudice. Prejudice is an attitude based on stereotypes. Racism entails the policies and practices that uphold ideas of one group being superior to another.

Multiple Choice

True or false:

Is the following a microaggression:

"Where are you from?"

• True

• False

Implicit Bias & Message

Implicit bias: The statement implies that Asian Americans and Latino Americans are foreign-born.

Message: You are not American. You are foreign born.

Multiple Choice

True or false

Is the following a microaggression:

Asking an Asian person to help with a math or science problem.

• True

• False

Implicit Bias & Message

Implicit Bias: All Asians are intelligent and good in math and science.

Message: People of color and Whites are generally not as intelligent as Asians in math and science.

Multiple Choice

True or false

Is the following a microaggression:

"You are being too sensitive."

• True

• False

Implicit Bias & Message

Dismissive reactions that occur when bringing up that a microaggression has taken place.

Multiple Choice

True or false

Is the following a microaggression:

Person of color mistaken for a service worker.

• True

• False

Implicit Bias & Message

People of color are servants. They could not possibly occupy high-status positions. Non-people of color are more valued customers.

Multiple Choice

True or false

Is the following a microaggression:

Imitating accents and dialects

• True

• False

Implicit Bias & Message

Without trying, it is offensive to imitate the language of another race/ethnicity.

How to avoid microaggressions

• Listen to the person on the receiving end of the microaggression

• Be empathic to their feelings

• Take responsibility for any underlying bias

• Take steps to become educated