Microaggressions in Everyday Life

Microaggressions In Everyday Life (Race, Gender and Sexual

Orientation): Implications for Multicultural Counseling

Derald Wing Sue, Ph.D.

November 11, 2011

Teachers College, Columbia University

INTRODUCTION

It was a very awakening experience to be during this lecture last Friday

November 11,2011. Dr. Derald Wing Sue presented to the packed crowd inside

Kirkhof Hall a very interesting lecture on microaggressions: microbehaviors

towards race, gender or sexual orientation that most people has experienced

before, but not many are aware that they even happen.

Any socially devaluated group in our society has suffered of microaggressions.

They have harmful effects, and their effects are cumulative. They are invisible

powerful messages from perpetrators, most of the time unaware they have

incurred on them.

Dr. Sue started sharing with us a visit that he gave to Harvard University. The

whole week there was to present to the Institution cathedra and administrators

different techniques of how to be a more welcoming university for people of color,

students and staff. As he recalled, he found himself standing in front of a big

group of people, everyone of them of white skin. While he was being introduced,

he then made the observation that how somebody will be able to face being

there, if everybody there was white. The message that the university by being

like that was: “You are not going to be comfortable here”, “you are not going to

be in a higher level if you are hired or if you study here”. One of the deans of the

university came to Dr. Sue: “Every year when we have the orientation for the new

faculty and staff, we gather them in the Harvard Room, where all the portraits for

past presidents of Harvard University are, and all of them are white. Do you think

this will make some people uncomfortable?, he replied “What DO you think?”

After this anecdote, Dr. Sue proceeded to ask the next question: What do the

following people have in common?

Mel Gibson Don Imus

Michael Richards

Isaiah Washington

Rosie O’Donnell

University of Illinois Mascot– Chief

Illiniwek

Every single one of them has made racial remarks in the past, microaggressions

in public. From this examples, we can deduced that most of our bad comments

come out when we are out of control (mad, angry, under the influence) and when

we feel in a position of power.

Did Senator Joe Biden Commit a Racial Microaggression?

In announcing his presidential run, Mr. Biden was asked what he thought about

Barak Obama:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and

bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

For Mr. Biden he perceives he is actually giving a compliment, but for the African-

American community they felt let down.

Did John McCain Commit an Ethnic or Religious Microaggression?

At a political rally, a supporter told McCain, “I don’t trust Obama. He’s an Arab.”

McCain shook his head, quickly took the microphone and said: “No ma’am. He’s a

decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with. He’s

not…!”

Conan said next day about this comment: “The right answer should have been,

‘No Ma’am, he is not an Arab, but what will be wrong about that?’”

MICROAGGRESSION EXAMPLES

Racial Microaggressions:

A White man or woman clutching their purse or checking their wallet as a

Black or Latino man approaches or passes them. (Hidden Message: You and

your group are criminals).

An Asian American, born and raised in the United States is complimented for

speaking “good English.” (Hidden Message: You are not a true American.

You are a perpetual foreigner in your own country.)

Usually African Americans are perceived “more Americans” than Asian

Americans.

Gender Microaggressions:

Labeling an assertive female manager as a “bitch” while describing their

male counterparts as “a forceful leader.” (Hidden Message: Women should

be passive and allow men to be the decision-maker).

Mistaking a female physician wearing a stethoscope as a nurse. (Hidden

Message: Women should occupy nurturing and not decision-making roles.

Women are less capable than men).

Sexual Orientation Microaggressions:

Students using the term “gay” to describe a fellow student who is socially

ostracized. (Hidden Message: People who are weird, strange, deviant or

different are “gay”).

A lesbian client in therapy reluctantly discloses her sexual orientation to a

straight therapist by stating she “was into women.” The therapist indicates

he was not shocked because by the disclosure because he once had a client

who “was into dogs.” (Hidden Message: Same-sex attraction is abnormal

and deviant).

Disability Microaggressions:

A blind man reports that people often raise their voices when speaking to

him He responds by saying “Please don’t raise your voice, I can hear you

perfectly well.” (Hidden Message: A person with a disability is defined as

lesser in all aspects of physical and mental functioning).

A nurse uses “baby talk” with a middle-aged man who uses a wheelchair

(Hidden Message: People with disabilities are infantilized and function like

children.)

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

1. We have been socialized into a society in which there exist individual,

institutional and societal biases associated with race, gender and sexual

orientation.

2. None of us are immune from inheriting the biases of our ancestors,

institutions and society. It’s not our fault, but it doesn’t excuse us of

continuing using remarks with microaggressions. The painful step that no

one wants to give is to recognize our biases, because as a result of this a

big feeling of guilt will overcome us; to give this step will need a big

reorganization of our values.

3. It is not “old-fashioned” racism, sexism and heterosexism that is most

harmful to people of color, women and LGBTs but the contemporary forms

known as microaggressions.

4. The characteristics of these forms of bias are their invisible, unintentional

and subtle nature; usually outside the level of conscious awareness. Cab

drivers in New York have said that they don’t stop at night for black people

25% of the time, because they fear they are going to Harlem or to a

dangerous neighborhood.

5. Racial, gender and sexual orientation microaggressions create

psychological dilemmas for the perpetrator and recipient because they

represent a clash of racial, gender and sexual orientation realities.

6. Microaggressions create a hostile and invalidating climate for

marginalized groups, saps their spiritual and psychic energies, and their

cumulative nature can result in depression, frustration, anger, rage, loss of

self esteem, anxiety, etc.

RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS

Dr. Sue told another story: “There was a caterpillar and an ant. The ant was

amazed of how coordinated and with unison rhythm the caterpillar’s legs move.

The ant asked the caterpillar: ‘How is that your legs moved so gracefully and in

unison?’ when the caterpillar was about to reply, she tripped with her own legs

and went don’t to the ground” (self-awareness). We will always reach a point

where we will be self aware of our environment in relationship with our biases.

What makes it so difficult to talk about race in a decent manner? We mainly think

that is because fear that no matter what we say is going to be perceived as racist,

or homophobic, or sexist; but the real fear is realizing that you really are that!

Even then, if you ever realized that you are(racist, homophobic, sexist, etc.) the

most difficult question to answer is: What are you going to do about that? Here is

when the ultimate white privilege often presents: acknowledging your biases and

finally don’t do anything about them.

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; and potentially have a harmful or

unpleasant psychological impact on the target person or group.

Microaggressions are subtle, stunning, and often automatic exchanges which

are “put downs”.

The myth of “Color Blindness”, is the greatest microaggression of all.

In the world of business, the term “microinequities” is used to describe the

pattern of being overlooked, under-respected and devalued because of one’s

race or gender.

These exchanges are so pervasive and automatic in daily conversations that

they are often dismissed and glossed over as being innocent and innocuous.

They are, nevertheless, detrimental to persons of color because

microaggressions impair performance in the workplace, in the classroom, and

in a multitude of other settings by sapping the psychic and spiritual energy of

recipients and by creating inequities.

In people of color, their physical health is affected by when stress is provoked

by having to deal with microaggressions in their daily lives.

RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DILEMMAS

Dilemma One: Clash of racial realities.

“Did the person engage in a microaggression or did the person of color

simply misinterpret the action?

The racial reality of people of color is different from the racial reality of

White Americans.

Dilemma Two: The Invisibility of Unintentional Expressions of Bias.

The perpetrator of a microaggression is usually sincere in the belief they

acted without racial bias.

Herein lays a major dilemma. How does one prove that a microaggression

has occurred? More importantly, how do we make the perpetrator aware of

it?

The most accurate assessment about whether racist acts have occurred in

a particular situation is most likely to be made from those most

disempowered rather than those who enjoy the privileges of “power”.

Dilemma Three: Perceived Minimal Harm of Racial Microaggressions.

When individuals are confronted with their microaggressive behaviors, the

perpetrator usually believes that the victim has overreacted, is being overly

sensitive and/or petty.

Usually, Whites consider microaggressive incidents to be minor and people

of color are encouraged (by Whites and oftentimes by other people of color)

to “not waste time or effort on it.” “Let it go!”

However, microaggressions are associated with a negative racial climate

and emotions of self-doubt, frustration, and isolation.

While microaggressions may be seemingly innocuous and insignificant,

their effects can be quite dramatic (psychological well-being and inequities

in health care, education, and employment.

Dilemma Four: The Catch-22 of Responding to Microaggressions.

When a microaggression occurs, the recipient is usually placed in a Catch-

22. The immediate reaction might be a series of questions:

“Did what I think happen, really happen? Was this a deliberate act or an

unintentional slight? How should I respond? Sit and stew on it or confront

the person? What are the consequences if I do? If I bring the topic up, how

do I prove it? Is it really worth the effort? Should I just drop the matter?

HARMFUL IMPACT

Studies reveal, that racial microaggressions, while seemingly trivial in nature

have major consequences for persons of color because they:

(a) assail the mental health of recipients (Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008),

(b) create a hostile and invalidating campus climate (Solórzano, Ceja, &

Yosso, 2000),

(c) perpetuate stereotype threat (Steele, Spencer, & Aronson, 2002),

(d) create physical health problems (Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams,

1999),

(e) saturate the broader society with cues that signal devaluation of social

group identities (Purdie-Vaughns, Steele, Davies, & Ditlmann, 2008), and

(f) lower work productivity and problem solving abilities (Dovidio, 2001;

Salvatore & Shelton, 2007).

Far from being benign slights, racial microaggressions have major

detrimental consequences for people of color.

Catch-22 of Responding

The levels of conflict that go on within a person of color are multifaceted.

1. First, the person must determine whether a microaggression has occurred.

People of color rely heavily on experiential reality that is contextual in

nature and involves life experiences from a variety of situations.

To people of color, connecting the dots suggest it is a nonrandom event.

Whites evaluate the incident in isolation and fail to see a pattern of bias,

are defended by a belief in their own morality, and can in good conscience

deny that they discriminated.

2. Second, how one reacts to a microaggression may have differential effects,

not only on the perpetrator but the person of color as well. Deciding to do

nothing by sitting on one’s anger is one response.

This response can occur because recipients may (a) be unable to determine

whether a microaggression has occurred, (b) be at a loss of how to respond,

(c) rationalize that “it won’t do any good anyway”, (d) engage in self-

deception through denial – “It didn’t happen,” (e) determine the

consequences are too great or (f) rescue or protect the offender.

While these explanations for non-response may hold validity to the person

of color, not doing anything has potential psychological harm. It may mean

a denial of one’s experiential reality, dealing with a loss of integrity, or

dealing with pent up anger and frustration likely to take both a

psychological and physical toll.

3. Third, responding with anger and striking back is likely to engender

negative consequences for persons of color as well. They are likely to be

accused of being racially oversensitive, paranoid or that their emotional

outbursts confirm stereotypes about minorities.

In this case while feeling better in the immediate moment by relieving pent-

up emotions, the reality is that the general situation has not been changed.

In essence, the Catch-22 means you are “damned if you do, and damned if

you don’t”.

Figure 1 – Categories and Relationship of Racial

Microaggressions

I. RACIAL MICROASSAULT

1. Microassaults are explicit racial derogations characterized primarily by a

violent verbal or nonverbal attack meant to hurt the intended victim through

name-calling, avoidant behavior or purposeful discriminatory actions.

Referring to someone as a “Nigger”, “Jap” or some other racial epithet,

discouraging interracial interactions, and serving a White patron before

someone of color are examples.

Microassaults are most similar to what has been called “old fashioned”

racism conducted at an individual level.

1.1. Environmental Microaggressions: Macro-level microaggressions,

which are more apparent on a systemic level

A waiting room office has pictures of American presidents and/or world

leaders. (Message: You don’t belong here/ Only white people can

succeed.)

Every counselor at a mental health clinic is White. (Message: You are an

outsider/ You don’t exist.)

II. RACIAL MICROINSULT

2. Microinsults are characterized by behavioral or verbal remarks or

comments that convey rudeness, insensitivity and demean a person’s racial

heritage or identity.

A microinsult consists of verbal and nonverbal comments or behaviors that

represent subtle snubs, oftentimes outside the level of awareness of the

perpetrator, but clearly conveys a hidden insulting message to the recipient

of color.

When an employer tells a prospective candidate of color that “I believe the

most qualified person should get the job” or when an employee of color is

asked “How did you get your job?”, the underlying message may be

twofold: (a) people of color are not qualified, and (b) as a minority group

member, you must have obtained the position through some affirmative

action or quota program (not because of ability or expertise).

Microinsults can also occur nonverbally, as when a White teacher fails to

acknowledge students of color in the classroom or when a White supervisor

seems distracted during a conversation with a Black employee and avoids

eye contact or turns away. In this case, the message conveyed to the

person of color is that your thoughts/ideas and contributions are not

important.

2.1. Ascription of Intelligence: Assigning a degree of intelligence to a

person of color based on their race.

A school counselor reacts with surprise when an Asian American student

had trouble on the math portion of a standardized test.

A career counselor asking a Black or Latino student “Do you think you’re

ready for college? (Message: It is unusual for people of color to succeed.)

2.2. Second Class Citizen: Occurs when a White person is given

preferential treatment as a consumer over a Person of color.

A counselor limits the amount of long-term therapy to provide at a

college counseling center; she chooses all White clients over clients of

color. (Message: Whites are more valued than people of color.)

Clients of color are not welcomed or acknowledged by receptionists.

(Message: White clients are more valued than clients of color.)

2.3. Pathologizing cultural values/communication Styles: The notion

that the values and communication styles of the dominant/White culture

are ideal

A Black client is loud, emotional, and confrontational in a counseling

session. The therapist diagnoses her with borderline personality disorder.

(Message: Assimilate to dominant culture.

A client of Asian or Native American descent has trouble maintaining eye

contact with his therapist. The therapist diagnoses him with a social

anxiety disorder.

Advising a client, “Do you really think your problem stems from racism?

(Message: Leave your cultural baggage outside.)

2.4. Criminality/Assumption of Criminal Status: A person of color is

presumed to be dangerous, criminal, or deviant based on their race.

When a Black client shares that she was accused of stealing from work,

the therapist encourages the client to explore how she might have

contributed to her employer’s mistrust of her. (Message: You are a

criminal.)

A therapist takes great care to ask all substance abuse questions in an

intake with a Native American client, and is suspicious of the client’s

nonexistent history with substances. (Message: You are deviant.)

III. RACIAL MICROINVALIDATION

3. Microinvalidations are characterized by verbal comments or behaviors that

exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential

reality of a person of color.

Again, this form of microaggression is most likely to be unintentional and

only marginally conscious.

When an Asian American (born and raised in the U.S.) is complimented for

speaking good English or repeatedly asked where he/she was born, the

impact is to negate his/her U.S. American heritage and conveys that he/she

is a perpetual foreigner.

When a Black person is told that “I don’t see color” or “We are all human

beings”, the effect is to dismiss and negate his/her experience as a

racial/cultural being.

When a Latino couple is given poor service at a restaurant and shares it

with White friends, only to be told “Don’t be so oversensitive” or “Don’t be

so petty”, the racial experience of the couple is being nullified and/or its

importance is being diminished.

3.1. Alien in Own Land: When Asian Americans and Latino Americans are

assumed to be foreign-born.

A White client does not want to work with an Asian American therapist

because she “will not understand my problem.”

A white therapist tells an American-born Latino client that he/she should

seek a Spanish-speaking therapist. (Message: You are not a true

American.)

3.2. Color Blindness: Statements which indicate that a White person does

not want to acknowledge race.

A therapist says "I think you are being too paranoid. We should

emphasize similarities not people's differences" when a client of color

attempts to discuss her feelings about being the only person of color at

her job and feeling alienated and dismissed by her

co-workers (Message: Race and culture are not important variables that

affect people’s lives.)

A client of color expresses concern in discussing racial issues with her

therapist. Her therapist replies with, “When I see you, I don’t see color.”

(Message: Your racial experiences are not valid.)

3.3. Myth of Meritocracy: Statements which assert that race does not

play a role in succeeding in career advancement or education.

A school counselor tells a Black student that “if you work hard, you can

succeed like everyone else. (Message: ”People of color are lazy and/or

incompetent and need to work harder. If you don’t succeed, you have

only yourself to blame - blaming the victim).

A career counselor working with a client of color who is concerned about

not being promoted at work despite being qualified. The counselor

suggests, “Maybe if your work harder you can succeed like your peers.”

3.4. Denial of Individual Racism: A statement made when Whites

renounce their racial biases.

A client of color asks his/her therapist about how race affects their

working relationship. The therapist replies, “Race does not affect the

way I treat you. (Message: ”Your racial/ethnic experience is not

important.)

A client of color expresses hesitancy in discussing racial issues with his

White female therapist. She replies “I understand. As a woman, I face

discrimination also. (Message: ”Your racial oppression is no different

than my gender oppression.)

BECOMING CULTURALLY COMPETENT IN THE SOCIAL WORK FIELD

1. Become culturally aware of our own values, biases and assumptions about

human behavior:

What stereotypes, perceptions, and beliefs do we hold about culturally

diverse groups that may impair our ability to form a helpful and effective

relationship?

What are the worldviews they bring to the interpersonal encounter? What

value systems are inherent in the professional’s theory of helping,

educating, administrating, and what values underlie the strategies and

techniques used in these situations?

Without the right level of awareness and understanding, we may

inadvertently assume that everyone shares our world view. When this

happens, we may become guilty of cultural oppression, imposing values on

our culturally diverse clients.

2. Acquire knowledge and understanding of culturally diverse groups and

individuals.

What biases, values and assumptions about human behavior do these

groups hold?

Is there such a thing as an African American, Asian American,

Latino(a)/Hispanic American or American Indian worldview? Do other

culturally different groups (women, the physically challenged,

gays/lesbians, etc.) also have different world views?

Most of the time, people don’t know that what they are saying and doing

are hurtful and are racist. If someone calls you out on something you’ve

said, even if they are angry, try to just apologize.

Don’t rationalize or try to minimize what has transpired, because this

diminishes the impact of the apology. Becoming educated will help and

practicing humility will help even more.

3. Begin the process of developing appropriate and effective helping, teaching,

communication and intervention strategies in working with culturally diverse

groups and individuals.

Prevention as well as remediation approaches, and systems intervention as

well as traditional one-to-one relationships.

Ability to make use of existing indigenous-helping/healing approaches and

structures which may already exist in the minority community.

For example in a school setting, the school social worker could facilitate the

cultural competence by exposing the teachers to more diverse populations,

speaking with other colleagues, and the circulation of multicultural readings

to enhance their ability to recognize and facilitate racial dialogues in the

classroom.

4. Understand how organizational and institutional forces may either enhance or

negate the development of multicultural competence.

It does little good for any of us to be culturally competent when the very

organization that employs us is filled with monocultural policies and

practices.

In many cases, organizational customs do not value or allow the use of

cultural knowledge or skills. Some organizations may even actively

discourage, negate, or punish multicultural expressions. Thus, it is

imperative to view multicultural competence for organizations as well.

Develop new rules, regulations, policies, practices, and structures within

organizations which enhance multiculturalism are important.

PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS

When I was living in Sacramento CA, I applied to a job in an elementary school as

a bilingual administrative assistant. I sent my resume on time and filled out the

application properly. When I was called to have an interview, I was nervous but

also sure that I was a good candidate for the position. When it was my turn to

have the interview, I was invited to go directly to the principal’s office, a young

man with a friendly smile and warm disposition. After the basic questions, he

started explaining to me the nature of the work. I still thought that it sounded

pretty easy for my skills and professional qualities, and when I started explaining

that I have experience on all those areas, he made a pause and finally said to me

that even though he was very impressed with my resume and I was definitely

overqualified for the job, he also thought that “my accent would be upsetting for

some of the school’s parents”. I was not able to defend myself after that

comment. Until today, I don’t remember if I said something else after that. I just

remember saying goodbye to him, he apologizing to me for the third or fourth

time, and finally me sitting down for half hour in my car thinking, crying and

thinking again what had been so wrong. I was discriminated not because lack of

skills or inexperience, but because of the tone of my voice, indirect sign of my

culture and my origin. I still don’t think it was quite a microaggression, but a

direct, frontal, huge aggression against me as a person and as a Hispanic

Woman. After hearing Dr. Sue, I also thought of the times that I have been bias

against other groups: African Americans or LGBTQ, for example. These memories

brought me more questions during Dr. Sue’s Lecture: Am I ready to confront my

own biases and do something about them? Am I going to be able to help an

individual that continuously receives microaggressions on his/her life? Today

more than ever I think that becoming part of the social work field requires

intensive training, but most of all it requires me to have a deeper knowledge of

myself: what are my values, what are my biases, what is my philosophy of life,

how do I see the world that is outside far beyond the front door of my home? I

know that I still have time until I graduate to respond these questions and to get

to know me better, hoping that when the graduation day comes I will be ready to

work in the community giving my complete respect and understanding to

everyone, no matter who they are, how they look, or how they think.

SOURCE

Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and

Sexual Orientation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Sue, D. W. (Editor)(2010). Microaggressions and Marginality: Manifestation,

Dynamics and Impact. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and

Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Microaggressions in Everyday Life

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