What are Microaggressions?

 Iana Madison

Dr. Harris

ENGL 2016 - 44378

21 November 2023

What are Microaggressions?

Most people have experienced being told a microaggression of some kind. Short statements that you could just brush off as odd but leaves you with a feeling of low self-esteem. Like you are isolated from the people around you. If you have ever been told that you talk properly for your race or if your hair is your real hair, you have been told a microaggression. Whether you felt these statements were made out of pure ignorance or just bluntly meant to hurt you, microaggressions are meant to discourage you and will negatively affect the way you feel or see yourself.

Microaggressions are everyday behavior or statements that do not necessarily reflect malicious intent, but which nevertheless can inflict insult or injury. These statements are not meant to be used as compliments or as light hearted declarations. Microaggressions have racist and stereotypical undertones to them and are not meant to be positive. I myself have been told many microaggressions in my life. That I look Black but don’t act or sound Black. I have also been told that I speak very properly which can sound like a compliment, but in reality it discredits my race by suggesting that Black people normally aren’t able to talk properly. Telling an Asian American that they speak English very well is a microaggression. Even if they were born in America, you are implying that they weren't. Telling a Black person that they talk properly or talk like a White person is also a microaggression. You are insinuating that White people have a higher level of education than Black people and that Black people lack the education necessary to communicate well. People of color often encounter microaggressions in their daily lives. 

Microaggressions aren’t only just verbal statements that are said to a person, they can also be actions that someone does. Some of the actions include touching a black woman's hair without her permission and White people checking their wallets or clutching their purses when a Black or Latino person approaches or passes them while walking. Touching a Black woman’s hair and asking over and over if it is her real hair are just racist implications that you aren’t blatantly saying out loud. Despite if you are someone that feels that microaggressions are just pointless statements with no intent to harm anyone, they do cause the person receiving them long lasting pain. “A slow accumulation of these microaggressions can lead to low self-esteem, feelings of alienation and eventually even mental health issues…” (Lufkin 9) Microaggressions invalidate the person you are and can make you feel like you don’t belong. They can directly target your identity and can lead you to a feeling of fear. Imagine being gay and surrounded by people that are against it. You wouldn’t want to be targeted and outed by someone trying to  inflict insult or injury in the form of microaggressions. Microaggressions can tear down your self-esteem, your confidence, affect how you think and behave day to day. 

The use of microaggressions always negatively affects the person receiving them. They are not appropriate to use and usually stem from racism or stereotypes. A person's self-esteem can be seriously impacted by one comment, which can haunt them for the rest of their lives. If you are someone that happens to use microaggressions without realizing, you should try to be more conscious of your beliefs and consider if what you say will affect other people, even if you are unaware that what you said was a microaggression.

Works Cited

Cuncic, Arlin. “What Are Microaggressions?” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 26 Feb. 2021, www.verywellmind.com/what-are-microaggressions-4843519.

Limbong, Andrew. “Microaggressions Are a Big Deal: How to Talk Them out and When to Walk Away.” NPR, NPR, 9 June 2020, www.npr.org/2020/06/08/872371063/microaggressions-are-a-big-deal-how-to-talk-them-out-and-when-to-walk-away. 

Line, Front. “What to Do If You Experience or Witness a Microaggression.” The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 2023, www.csp.org.uk/frontline/article/what-do-if-you-experience-or-witness-microaggression#:~:text=Call%20out%20microaggressions.,support%20if%20you%20need%20it. 

Lufkin, Bryan. “How Microaggressions Work.” BBC News, BBC, 25 Feb. 2022, www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20180406-the-tiny-ways-youre-offensive---and-you-dont-even-know-it. 

Wing Sue, Derald. “What Is a Microaggression? What to Know about These Everyday Slights.” NewYork-Presbyterian, 10 Dec. 2020, healthmatters.nyp.org/what-to-know-about-microaggressions/.