Microaggressions

Photo by Kat Med on Unsplash

What are microaggressions? How do you work through microaggressions? When/how do you report microaggressions? What are some ways to practice self-care after a microaggression occurs?


EXITO's first microaggression panel on December 3, 2020 features panelists answering these questions and sharing their stories.

(See Panelist Bios)

  • Tory Blackwell, PhD (Biology Instructor at Clackamas Community College)

  • Isabel J. Rodriguez (Masters Student at Oregon State University)

  • Jackie Wirz, PhD (Executive Director for Saturday Academy)

  • De'Sha Wolf, PhD (Managing Director for Portland State University's BUILD EXITO Program)

Recognizing Microaggressions

Microaggression Recognition Tool.pdf
Adapted from Sue, Derald Wing, Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation, Wiley & Sons, 2010. Source: Hopkins Medicine (PDF)

    • Microaggressions may look different across communities. Explore examples in the document adapted by microaggression expert, Derald Wing Sue.

    • From our very own EXITO alum and peer mentor:

“Microaggressions are often boundary issues. So the part of the work that no one else can do is recognizing your own boundaries and values so that you know when people push you into a place you aren't comfortable.” -Brandy Lentz


Interrupting and Working Through Microaggressions

Summary of Wood & Harris's RAVEN method; Source: OHSU


  • Brandy’s "Ouch" method - simply saying “Ouch, that’s problematic language”.


When & How to Make a Report

OHSU Resource Examples:

PSU Resources:

Help! It's Not Working

Adames, H.Y. and N.Y. Chavez-Duenas (2017). Surviving and resisting hate: a toolkit on people of color. ICRaceLab.

  • Lines for Life: Nonprofit that focuses on promoting mental health for all. They have multiple 24-hour crisis lines.

Suicide Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Alcohol & Drug Helpline: 800-923-4357

Military Helpline: 888-457-4838

Youthline: 877-968-8491

Senior Loneliness Line: 800-282-7035

  • Multnomah County Crisis Line: 503-988-4888


Dive Deeper

Learn more about microaggression from some of the leading experts studying it.

Derald Wing Sue

Watch the short clip (2:38m) or read the latest papers from one of the world's leading experts in microaggressions, also a former Oregonian.

Explore Dr. Sue's work on Google Scholar or his faculty profile

NPR podcast: Kevin Nadal

Listen to a podcast (21m) about microaggressions with Psychology professor Dr. Kevin Nadal.

Limbong, A. (2020, June 9). Microaggressions are a big deal: How to talk them out and when to walk away. NPR: Life Kit.

Out Talk with Kevin Nadal

16:45 video with Dr. Kevin Nadal and guests about microaggressions and their impacts. Discusses how to respond and other considerations, like when it's someone you know, intersectionality, and moving forward.

Brandy's Tips

Below are some tips for fellow white people who want to learn to recognize when their actions might feel oppressive and tips to protect against unintentionally perpetuating microaggressive behavior.


First, educate yourself. Learn about behaviors that feel oppressive to others (see microaggression examples; PDF). Some of these behaviors have a history of being harmful to certain communities and even though it might seem like “no big deal” these behaviors add up and working on this helps to make workplaces more accessible and increase communication between you and colleagues.

  • If someone tells you that you are being offensive or oppressive, take their word for it, try not to be defensive. We make mistakes. Forgive yourself and move on.

  • Don’t speak about communities you aren’t a part of (speak from your own experiences)

  • Speak up if you notice others using problematic language or behavior. (see "Ouch" method above)

  • Tendrils - Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if you can let your guard down

  • Give yourself transition time. Extra mental space will allow you to be more mindful of your language and behavior. Often when we are programmed with problematic behaviors they can slip out when we are particularly stressed or ungrounded.

  • Breaking language and behavior patterns takes time and energy.

  • Because something has always worked for you in your experience doesn’t mean it will work for everyone statements like “You could just…” and “It’s not that hard, expensive, big of a deal etc” are dismissive and assume that your experience is default and others who do not operate like you are inferior.


Aaron's Tips:

Microaggressions around disability, religion/culture, poverty, social class, sexual orientation, trans status, age, nationality, etc. can be common and difficult. They affect people of all colors and genders. Here are Aaron's tips on dealing with microaggressions when you face them for reasons people may not be talking about.

Don't defend the reality of the microaggressions you face. Don't attack the reality of what you don't face. Accept both are real. There is no winner in a contest for who has been treated the worst. When we are used to being treated badly, the important thing is to learn how to treat each other well.

  • Don't assume other people who face prejudice and microaggressions will automatically "get it," or that they'll be supportive of you. They are carrying their own burdens.

  • You are not responsible for other people's discomfort with you. You are responsible for how you behave.

  • See if you have the energy to be honest and calm right now. If you don't, it's okay to say, "I need to talk about this at another time," and leave or change the subject.

  • You are not responsible for educating other people. You are responsible for being yourself.

  • Your right to say "Ow!" when someone says or does something painful to you does not depend on anyone's gender or skin tone.

  • It doesn't help anyone to pretend you don't face the challenges you face. It doesn't help to apologize for being you instead of the person you are "supposed" to be.

  • Inequitable systems keep people separated into opposite binary (either-or) categories (such as either "white" or "of color," either "straight" or "gay"). So when your life doesn't fit in one category, you will get microaggressions from all sides. You are not the problem. You can't fix it. Don't stand in for "the other." Turn the conversation back to these groups talking more with their "others"--not you personally.

  • It's okay to ask people to educate themselves. You can and should educate yourself; so can they.

  • Learn and use the skill sets for handling microaggressions. The value of what others have to teach you doesn't depend on whether they know you're included. It's not their job to know that; it's yours.

  • Assuming that [other] people of color, women, etc. can't handle knowing that you also face microaggressions for different reasons is not respectful to those people: it's assuming you can handle the truth, but they can't.

  • Listen with both ears, see situations with both eyes: no one is just a perpetrator, or just a victim.