The macro impact of microaggressions
We’re familiar with the idea that little things can make a big idea or movement. If you were preparing for a race, your coach would suggest running daily to build stamina and speed. If you're trying to crack a tough exam, you instinctively know you must study every day leading up to the exam. We know that small actions add up and compound to have big effects or outcomes. Similarly, never underestimate a small gesture or word's echoing impact on someone else. Sometimes, that small gesture or words could be a microaggression. Even though the term ‘microaggressions’ has the word ‘micro’ making it up, a microaggression's actual impact can be far from tiny. They can leave a searing effect on people.
Microaggressions are small statements or covert actions of discrimination, usually aimed at someone with a non-mainstream background. Microaggressions are not always obvious, or intended to hurt, but these minor statements or actions based on stereotypes can make you feel uncomfortable about your identity. What makes microaggressions messy to dissect is that they are often ambiguous. A remark like “You speak good English” sounds like a compliment but has an underlying message that all people who look like you probably don’t speak English fluently.
Sometimes, microaggressions sting more because they come from people we know, or interact with often.
Whether verbal or non-verbal, microaggressions can hurt Research has shown that microaggressions can lead to increased stress, negatively affect confidence levels, and cause anxiety in some social groups. Also, microaggressions can cause as much pain and hurt as an open action of discrimination, or a macroaggression.
Asian Girls Ignite recently held a workshop in their RepresentAsian Matters Summer Program called “Brave Space” hosted by Hannah Matthys, PhD - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
The topic of discussion was microaggression, during which one of our young members opened up tearfully about the constant microaggression they face in school, “My teacher calls me by the other Asian girl’s name and it hurts me”. This is what microaggressions do: make you feel like you’re invisible, marked by a characteristic of your cultural/minority identity rather than by your strong and distinct individuality.
Microagression is more than words
Microaggressions are not always verbal as well, body language like moving down the bench when someone opens up their lunch with Asian food, or asking a Math question and looking at the Asian in the room to answer are non-verbal microaggressions.
At Asian Girls Ignite, we serve our students local Colorado AANHPI women-owned food during our programs!
We believe we should be proud of our food!
Coming back to the part of this article that mentioned how small actions have big impacts, constant microaggressions can pile up to impact your mental health. Diana Gueits, a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI )leader in Ohio, mentions a video that equates microaggressions to mosquito bites. “Mosquito bites are small. But if you start to experience a lot of them at once, they become annoying or even disabling,” says Gueits. The constant buzz and bites of mosquitoes can wear you down. Even if you don’t see the mosquito that bit you, the swelling on your body reminds you of their bite. Similarly, even if you don’t recognize and react to the microaggression in real time, you would likely replay the remark or incident in your head on a loop, wondering what the person’s ‘real intent’ was.
Spray away prejudices
Microaggressions are the residual manifestation of a stereotype someone carries in their head. They reveal that the speaker has a certain notion about you based on your appearance or cultural identity. While they are not always intended to hurt, the outcome almost always does. All of us, even people of color, are guilty of committing microaggressions because it is human nature to work off assumptions instead of facts. It’s important to have a developing sense of awareness and empathy when we speak to people, are we addressing them from an idea we have of them, or based on what they have told us about themselves?
Microaggressions are pesky, and one way we can get rid of them is to confront them head-on. This can feel scary, because microaggressions come from people we know, or people we don’t. In the case of the former, a confrontation could feel like a way of jeopardizing the relationship. Whereas with strangers, it’s terrifying to confront someone we don’t know.
Know that standing up for yourself is a great act of courage. It can be terrifying being the lone voice that counters someone’s statement, but think of the outcome: calling out a microaggression benefits your mental health, and community; it also changes the perspective of someone else. You can be a change-maker for good, by calmly and gently swatting away the bite of microaggressions. When you counter a microaggression, you single-handedly dismantle a heap of prejudice and hidden bias. And the part about being courageous? Challenge yourself to start small. Courage is like creativity, you can’t use it up. The more of it you use, the more you’ll have.
Courage and critical thinking
Sometimes, you may find yourself in situations where you need to make a judgment call on which microaggressions you want to confront and let go. Remember that swatting every mosquito (in this case, microaggression) that comes your way could lead to emotional exhaustion. You shouldn’t feel compelled to do the emotional work all the time as a person of color. Pick and choose which instances and microaggressions you feel equipped to deal with.
It’s instinctive to want to let a microaggression pass by with no reaction, however, you could always respond to it with “Did I hear that correctly?’. Asking the person to repeat what they said could help them reevaluate why they harbored the thought that spawned the comment.
If the microaggressions come from someone with who you’re comfortable being around, like a friend or long-time acquaintance, you can ask a probing question like “What do you mean by that?” The person may apologize, or give you an insight into why they think that way.
We must shape our approach to understand why they think about a group of people a certain way. Your intention should go beyond scrubbing away the hurt of the comment but also lovingly encourage the other person to question their notions. Conversations around race can feel tricky, and most people will want to change the subject or switch the topic. Depending on your relationship with the person, you can find your inner strength to sift out the awkwardness to arrive at the root of their prejudices.
Just as microaggressions have a macro effect on its target, unwinding a microaggression can have an equally wide-reaching impact. The person who spouted the microaggression may have been working off a bias that’s passed on in their family from generation to generation, and now you, you with your courageous heart and profound clarity, have helped stop a long-grown bias that spread more hurt than love.
To take on microaggressions, you need to have an overarching awareness of how you perceive yourself. Your early experiences and reactions to your identity shape this perception, and this plays into how you can counter microaggressions. At Asian Girls Ignite, we create spaces and opportunities for you to see yourself authentically, and be represented in ways you didn’t know were possible. Join us on our mission and donate today!
(No mosquitoes were harmed in the writing of this article)
