What are Microaggressions and Their Impact on Mental Health?
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I found this great reflective exercise, let's see what attitudes about difference come up when we go through it together and see what comes up:
The first time I became aware of differences was when ...
As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were different from us were...
As I was growing up, my parent(s) taught me that people who were like us were ...
A time I was mistreated because of my own difference was when ...
A time I mistreated someone for being different was when ...
I feel most comfortable when I am around people who ...
I feel least comfortable when I am around people who ...
The memories I have of differences affect my parenting by …
As I consider these reflections, I recognize that I grew up in a home where a family member held racist attitudes towards certain minority groups which presented itself through their words. This family member expressed those views in the words they chose to use. As a child, it meant nothing to me until I got older and learned more about the world and concluded that that type of language and beliefs are not ones that I agree with or want to perpetuate.
Whether in the workplace, on social media, in our homes or at the grocery store, many of our current conversations have been around the subject of racism and anti-racism. Trying to decide what is or isn’t considered racism can sometimes be difficult - not everything is in black or white. A racial slur or threat is an obvious, clear-cut offense but what about words or phrases that speak to racial stereotypes? This is more of a grey area. These subtle and difficult- to- identify differences are called microaggressions.
Racial microaggressions are brief common daily derogatory messages, intentional or unintentional directed toward people and minorities. Typically, minority groups experience microaggressions based on race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, or nationality.
Microaggression Categories
Microaggressions can fall under three categories: Microassaults, Microinsults, and Microinvalidations.
Microassaults
These are conscious, deliberate racist or marginalized group attacks in verbal or nonverbal with the intent to hurt the victim. Attacks can be in the form of name-calling, avoidance, and intentional discrimination actions. Microassaults tend to be expressed in micro situations in order to maintain anonymity unless in a public setting due to loss of control or in a safe space that allows engaging in a microassault.
Examples
Referring to someone as “colored” or “Oriental”
Use of racial names
Displaying a swastika
Serving a white individual before a person of color
Saying “that’s gay” when describing something as unappealing
Saying “He throws like a girl” when the individual doesn’t throw well
Microinsults
Communication that is unintentionally rude or insensitive that demeans a person’s racial heritage or identity. These messages are subtle and unknown to the perpetrator but contain a hidden insult to the receiver. While the following statements are not necessarily aggressions on an individual basis, repeat use can cause the receiver to feel them as aggressions.
Examples:
Asking a colleague of color how they got their job
Not saying someone’s name correctly because it’s unfamiliar
Commenting on the articulate
Telling a person of color they are “so articulate”
Asking to touch a black women’s hair
Implying someone got their job to meet a quota
Stereotyping that all lesbians are masculine and that all gay men are feminine
Microinvalidations
Communications that exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person of color or marginalized group.
Examples:
When Asians born and raised in the United States are complimented for speaking English
When blacks are told “I don’t see color”
When LGTBQ people are told their views of discrimination are unfounded or nonsensical
Staying silent when something should be addressed or corrected
Invalidating someone’s feelings by saying the individual(s) causing the offense didn’t mean it like that
How to Prevent Microaggressions
It can be difficult to change our behaviors towards marginalized groups if we have learned bias. Learned bias is passed onto us from our parents or other relatives that could include racist or discriminatory attitudes and behaviors towards other groups of people.
For example, I grew up in a family who all went to BYU and believed that BYU was the #1 school and all the graduates were #1 and ultimately I grew up with the belief that BYU was #1 and I was going to go there. In the end I did not attend BYU and frankly now don’t have such a high regard for the school. I changed my thinking on BYU and realized it’s not #1 nor are the graduates #1. There are plenty of incredible schools and incredible graduates from many universities.
Here are some ways we can change our behaviors:
Listening to the receiver of the microaggression and be empathetic to their feelings
Try not to be defensive or dismiss feelings
Take ownership for underlying bias towards certain groups
Take steps to be more educated and understanding
Commit to change microaggressive behaviors
Make an effort
Be aware of your own biases and fears
Interact with people who are different from you
Consider your words
Sue Wing, author of “Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life,” said Microaggressions hold their power because they are invisible, and therefore they don’t allow us to see that our actions and attitudes may be discriminatory.”
Impact on Mental Health
So, what does this all mean? How does it impact the mental health of those who are on the receiving end of microaggressions? The American Psychological Association (APA) reports microaggressions can cause posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
Additionally, respondents of a study by the APA agreed that micro aggressive communication can make them feel like they don’t belong, are abnormal and are untrustworthy. Some individuals reported feeling pressure to represent their group in a positive regard.
Microaggressive communication is harmful; words matter, actions matter. We all live in a society where discrimination has played a substantial role for everyone to some degree. Discussions of acceptance and tolerance take place and we have to live those values as we hope to pass them onto children’s lives. Reflection and addressing our biases is hard work that must be consistent. By working on these biases, we can in turn avoid microaggressions.
Now that you’ve gotten a crash course in microaggressions, how might you respond to a microaggression?
References:
DeAngelis, T. (2009, February). Unmasking ‘racial micro aggressions’. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/microaggression
Mason, K. M. (2020). Microaggressions at Work: What They Are and How to Fight Them. The Riveter. https://theriveter.co/voice/microaggressions-at-work/
Montanez, R. (2020, June 11). 10 Microinsults And 5 Microinvalidations Women of Color Are Tired Of, Are you Guilty? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelmontanez/2020/06/11/10-microinsults-and-5-microinvalidations-women-of-color-are-tired-of-are-you-guilty/?sh=29a53aa76ea8
Nadal KL, Whitman CN, Davis LS, Erazo T, Davidoff KC. Microaggressions Toward Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Genderqueer People: A Review of the Literature. The Journal of sex research. 2016;53(4-5):488-508. doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1142495
Reflecting Upon Our Own Biases: All Ages. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/publications/reflecting-upon-our-own-biases-all-ages
Rogers, K. (2020, June 6). Dear anti-racist allies: Here’s how to respond to microaggressions. CNN Health. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/health/racial-microaggressions-examples-responses-wellness/index.html
Smith, A. (2020, June 11). What to know about microaggressions. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/microagressions#how-to-avoid-them
Sue, Derald Wing, Christina M. Capodilupo, Gina C. Torino, Jennifer M. Bucceri, Aisha M. B. Holder, Kevin L. Nadal, and Marta Esquilin. Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life. American Psychologist, May-June 2007. https://www.cpedv.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/how_to_be_an_effective_ally-lessons_learned_microaggressions.pdf