Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

   
One of the microaggressions that I noticed this week at my work environment was a parent making a comment about another co-worker. The parent was very frustrated over her child missing school due to a very late arrival. The parent is a Caucasian person and my co-worker was an African American female. “That black woman at the front did not let me bring her to the classroom because we were 30 minutes late. My alarm did not go off or I did not hear it going off but anyways it was only 30 minutes and she had to miss school because of that woman ”  Even though it is being explained again and again that what time classes begin, and what is the latest arrival time, the parents get mad when it happens to them.

These comments really upset me due to her choice of words, her attitude, and her ignorance. I explained that the Lady in the front is a program manager and she was introduced to the parents at the orientation and her name is …….. Then I took time to use a Parent hand book and reminded those same policies and procedures of the program that we went through at the home visit and parent orientation, one more time.  

According to Dr. Sue (Laureate Education, 2011) microaggression is a verbal behavior towards race, gender, sexual orientation as well as disabilities. When the parent called the program manager as a black woman, for me it is racial and gender microaggression. Even though microaggression could be intentional and unintentional, these comments were clearly intentional.  Her communication of the incident came across as an insult to the program manager. According to Dr. Sue (Laureate Education, 2011), microaggrssions are brief every day: indignities, contains an insulting message, and often causes sever psychological stresses and harm to people. This incident made me disappointed regarding a parent’s behavior and choice of words.

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

This incident made me more aware of the power of words, when it comes to intentional insults. At the same time, this incident showed how individuals have the ability to use the words to blame someone else for their own mistake rather than admitting it and taking the steps to not let it happen again. I am glad that my co-worker did not get to hear the insulting words because she does not deserve to be insulted for following the protocol of the program. My best practice is to treat each and every individual, a friend or a stranger, with respect and care. Because, no one deserves to be assumed or accused of something that they are not or they did not do.

Reference:

Laureate Education (2011).  “Microaggressions in Everyday Life”. In this program, Dr. Derald Wing Sue presents a lecture about the concept of microaggression in everyday life.