Writing Assignment

In this Journal, think about the language of discrimination or oppression.  Microaggression is a term that is used when talking about discriminatory language.  Discuss the meaning of the term and give some examples.  Explain a time when you committed a microaggression. How did you become aware of it?  Once begin aware of it what was your response? 

Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. In many cases, these hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experimental reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment.

Racial, gender, and sexual orientation microaggressions are active manifestations and/or a reflection of our worldviews of inclusion/exclusion, superiority/inferiority, normality/abnormality, and desirability/undesirability. Microaggressions reflect the active manifestation of oppressive worldviews that create, foster, and enforce marginalization. Because most of us consciously experience ourselves as good, moral and decent human beings, the realization that we hold a biased worldview is very disturbing; thus we prefer to deny, diminish or avoid looking at ourselves honestly. Yet, research suggests that none of us are immune from inheriting the racial, gender, and sexual orientation biases of our society. We have been socialized into racist, sexist and heterosexist attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. Much of this is outside the level of conscious awareness, thus we engage in actions that unintentionally oppress and discriminate against others.

Racial Microaggressions: • A White man or woman clutches their purse or checks their wallet as a Black or Latino man approaches or passes them. • An Asian American, born and raised in the United States, is complimented for speaking "good English."

I myself have caught me making comments such as the one above, or even categorizing a woman wearing a statoscope mistaking her for a Nurse, even though she was the Doctor. I have also been in situations where my guy friends have whistled to women as we drove past or walked past us.

While there are many different microaggressions that we see and hear every day, it is important to remember where we once came from. How would you like it if someone treated you the way, you treated that girl walking down the street? Or that male nurse you mistake for being gay?

My response to any of this, is just don’t be so quick to judge, or act. In today’s society, it is more important than ever to watch how you act, or what you say to people.