Microaggressions

Given the immense harm inflicted on individuals and groups of color via prejudice and discrimination, it becomes imperative for our nation to begin the process of disrupting, dismantling, and disarming the constant onslaught of micro- and macroaggressions. For too long, acceptance, silence, passivity, and inaction have been the predominant, albeit ineffective, strategies for coping with microaggressions. Inaction does nothing but support and proliferate biased perpetrator behaviors which occur at individual, institutional and societal levels. This article introduces a new strategic framework developed for addressing microaggressions that moves beyond coping and survival to concrete action steps and dialogues that targets, allies, and bystanders can perform (microinterventions). A review of responses to racist acts, suggest that microaggression reactions/interventions may be primarily to (a) remain passive, retreat, or give up; (b) strike back or hurt the aggressor; (c) stop, diminish, deflect, or put an end to the harmful act; (d) educate the perpetrator; (e) validate and support the targets; (f) act as an ally; (g) seek social support; (h) enlist outside authority or institutional intervention; or (h) achieve any combination of these objectives. We organize these responses into four major strategic goals of microinterventions: (a) make the invisible visible, (b) disarm the microaggression, (c) educate the perpetrator, and (d) seek external reinforcement or support. The objectives and rationale for each goal are discussed, along with specific microintervention tactics to employ and examples of how they are executed.

Microaggressions, marginality, and oppression : an introduction / Derald Wing Sue -- Black undergraduates' experiences with perceived racial microaggressions in predominately white colleges and universities / Nicole L. Watkins, Theressa L. LaBarrie, and Lauren M. Appio -- Microaggressions and the life experience of Latino/a Americans / David P. Rivera, Erin E. Forquer, and Rebecca Rangel -- Racial microaggressions directed at Asian Americans : modern forms of prejudice and discrimination / Annie I. Lin -- The context of racial microaggressions against indigenous people : same old racism or something new? / Jill S. Hill, Suah Kim, and Chantea D. Williams -- Multiracial microaggressions : exposing monoracism in everyday life and clinical practice / Marc P. Johnston and Kevin L. Nadal -- Microaggressions and the pipeline for scholars of color / Fernando Guzman [and others] -- Microaggressions experienced by international students attending U.S. institutions of higher education / Suah Kim and Rachel H. Kim -- The manifestation of gender microaggressions / Christina M. Capodilupo [and others] -- Sexual orientation and transgender microaggressions : implications for mental health and counseling / Kevin L. Nadal, David P. Rivera, and Melissa J.H. Corpus -- Microaggressive experiences of people with disabilities / Richard M. Keller and Corinne E. Galgay -- Class dismissed : making the case for the study of classist microaggressions / Laura Smith and Rebecca M. Redington -- Religious microaggressions in the United States : mental health implications for religious minority groups / Kevin L. Nadal [and others] -- Microaggression research : methodological review and recommendations / Michael Y, Lau and Chantea D. Williams.

Racial microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color. Perpetrators of microaggressions are often unaware that they engage in such communications when they interact with racial/ethnic minorities. A taxonomy of racial microaggressions in everyday life was created through a review of the social psychological literature on aversive racism, from formulations regarding the manifestation and impact of everyday racism, and from reading numerous personal narratives of counselors (both White and those of color) on their racial/cultural awakening. Microaggressions seem to appear in three forms: microassault, microinsult, and microinvalidation. Almost all interracial encounters are prone to microaggressions; this article uses the White counselor--client of color counseling dyad to illustrate how they impair the development of a therapeutic alliance. Suggestions regarding education and training and research in the helping professions are discussed.