Microaggression: My family experience
Microaggression: My family experience
This summer, our family went to London for a relative wedding. The usual security lines were packed with fellow travelers. We hurriedly take our place in the line reserved for people with TSA PreCheck, making passing through the security process much more manageable. Then, out of the blue, we heard a White man who was behind us said: "it seems you are in the wrong line? This line is for TSA PreCheck.". Just us. since we were the only Black people in the line, he believes we were not in the right place. I did not hear him asking other travelers the same question he threw at us in the TSA precheck line. I shot back crisply. "I know what line this is." I wanted to say more, but for my husband, the peacekeeper, who would not let me this time. The subtle message is that black folks cannot afford to pay for TSA precheck, and it is for the white privileged. This is just one of the many Microaggression I have experienced over the years.
"Microaggressions are the everyday slights, insults, indignities, put-downs, and allegations that people of color experience in their day-to-day interactions with well-intentioned White [people]," has defined by Derald Wing Sue.
Black and minority ethnic people, disabled people, and other underrepresented groups are often experiencing microaggressions as a routine and familiar aspect of their environment.
The effect of this is corrosive and creates a constant feeling of being regarded as a second-class citizen, inferior, or even dangerous. Each Microaggression on its own can seem minor and trivial. However, the cumulative effect is devastating but invisible to others who do not attract them. some of the known effects are:
- Loss of self-esteem, feelings of exhaustion
- Damage to the ability to thrive in an environment
- Mistrust of peers, staff, and the institution
- Decreases participation and ability to study
- Students drop out
Microaggression limits social interaction with other students because they are expected to that framework when a student is stereotyped in a certain way. It might seem like these minor slights and insults would not have a significant effect. However, in the long run, its cumulative effect has a significant impact on the mental health of its victim (Lui &Quezada, 2019).
Microaggression is not just about one's feelings being hurt. It's about chronic stress that elicits anger and anxiety and has devastating long-term effects. Moreover, it's those little digs at the target repeatedly that can eventually disintegrate into mental health(Barber et al., 2020).
What then can we do about microaggressions as individuals, society, and members of the global community? The only way to stop microaggressions is for everyone to confront their own inherent biases. And to do this, we will need to expose ourselves to a broader type of situations and people and perhaps things that make us uncomfortable.
This means being open to becoming friends with people from different places and people who have ideas different from yours. It does not mean we have to change our morals and values. Still, we need to be open to learning about other people as individuals without immediately perceiving them as part of a particular group or having the biases that go along with that).
In addition, I think it's important to listen if someone speaks out about what has been done to them hurtful. But, above all else, we should always think before we speak and reflect on how it will affect those around us.
References
Barber S., Gronholm P.C., Ahuja S., Rüsch N., & Thornicroft G.(2020). Microaggressions towards people affected by mental health problems: a scoping review. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2020;29:e82. doi:10.1017/S2045796019000763
Lui PP &Quezada L.(2019). Associations between microaggression and adjustment outcomes: A meta-analytic and narrative review. Psychol Bull. 2019;145(1):45-78. doi:10.1037/bul0000172
Thank you so much for sharing these intimate experiences with us. I, unfortunately have had the same experience with TSA. When my family would speak Spanish waiting on those lines, multiple people have been so kind to "translate" signs for us to make sure we knew were in the right place.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the pain and hurt from microaggressions are only the beginning. It is the feeling of being invisible or being told that your are beneath someone over and over that is going to cause chronic stress and severe emotional effects.
I agree that it is totally important to listen when we are being told that we hurt someone. It is also just as important to create environments and safe spaces where people learn and start to be comfortable with sharing when they have been hurt as well.
Lucy, thank you so much for sharing this experience with us as I can only imagine it was hard to live through again. I am disgusted at the behavior of this person and so sorry that you guys had to experience this. It is completely unacceptable and wrong! I kind of wish you would've had laid into that jerk, but respect you even more for keeping calm and remaining the bigger and better person in the scenario!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your personal experience. It is upsetting after these years why some cannot or may not be willing to comprehend that people of color and different ethnic backgrounds and afford what are considered the upgrades when flying. Although, we teach our children about how some people don’t really care for black and other people of color it sad that our children have to experience it. Being that the person was so comfortable showing a microinsult microaggression at you and your family in such a public environment that person it makes me feel this may be a regular behavior when he encounters people of a certain race.
ReplyDeleteLucy,
ReplyDeleteIt almost feels strange to say, "thank you for sharing" when this experience should have never happened in the first place. Marginalized groups feel the weight of microaggressions daily. I wish more people took the time to educate themselves so they are not adding to the weight of others. I am sorry you experienced this, but I hope it was a learning opportunity for the man at the airport.
Great post. You make such great points about the feelings that are experienced by microaggressions and the lasting pain that can be caused. As Briana mentioned above, I also hope this was a learning moment for all the people around, including the airport employee.
ReplyDelete-Rebecca Hurth
rebecca.hurth@waldenu.edu
Very good post. I'm sorry that happened to you. You are right black and minority I think people are a target of microaggression every day. I regretfully say that I have done it unaware did I was being prejudice When I was younger. I'm sure you felt hurt, and angry. Having this happen to you all the time I can see how it would lower self-esteem and make you feel very exhausted. I'm glad you make sure your voice is heard. I can see while your husband would want to be a peacemaker and just have people say what they're going to say and leave it at that. But sometimes people don't understand that they're not aware that they are being prejudiced and hurtful. I believe people do need to be put in their place. They have to be told what they are saying is wrong.
ReplyDelete