Microaggressions
A microaggression is a subtle behavior – verbal or non-verbal, conscious or unconscious – directed at a member of a marginalized group that has a derogatory, harmful effect, which often involves making them feel different.
The Broad Range of Microaggressions
Microaggressions can come in many forms, but they always result in making a person feel 'Other,' as though they are separate from what is considered normal in a social or cultural context, or by disregarding their experiences. Consider these examples to help you better understand how microaggressions work.
Sometimes, a microaggression might come in the form of a misguided compliment. Imagine a Black woman walking into a room of a party where a group of White women are chatting. One of the White women turns to the Black woman and says "Wow! Your hair is so pretty! Can I touch it?" On the surface, this might seem like the White woman is being friendly; however, there's an underlying message that "Your hair makes you different. You are night like us." As a result, the Black woman has been made to feel 'Other.'
Another form of microaggressions could come in the form of assumptions. Let's imagine that there's a group of friends talking wherein one member of the group is Black. They sit around discussing music and the Black member of the group says that she likes listening to Taylor Swift. This is met with another member of the group saying "I don't think of listening to Taylor Swift. I dunno. That's just weird to me." This again suggests to the Black member of the group that she's not a part of the mainstream culture and that she should adhere to stereotypes of her race.
A further example could come in the form of invalidating a person's experience. Perhaps an Asian person is telling his White friends that he doesn't like going to certain places because people treat him differently. However, his White friends tell him that he is "being oversensitive" or that "Asian people don't experience racism." This is a microaggression because it tells the Asian person that his testimony isn't valid.
Impacts of Microaggressions
The impact of microaggressions has often been described as "death by a thousand cuts" because the impacts of microaggressions are cumulative. According to research conducted by Nadal (2014), there is a correlation between the experience of microaggressions and depression or low levels of positive emotions.
Nadal, Kevin L., et al. “The Impact of Racial Microaggressions on Mental Health: Counseling Implications for Clients of Color.” Journal of Counseling & Development 92.1 (2014): 57-66.