Discrimination : The Comfortable Kid

Microaggressions have been further generalized under a category of racism identified as aversive racism, where discriminating parties tend to find security by associating with those similar to them, thus marginalizing other parties. While working with his colleagues, Sue further categorized microaggressions into three different divisions: microassaults, microinsult, and microinvalidation. This further categorization has let those guilty of using microaggressions how they have the negative effect that they do.

I have read and fully understand the article Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: the Implications for Clinical Practice. However, I must admit the article does not sit well with me and I have learned I have been a microaggressor since my early days; specifically, I have offered microinsults many times over without even realizing it. Through the years, I have thought of myself as one who consciously believes in equal rights for “all”; not just the American people, but people of all races across the entire globe. Granted, I have never

The powerful, negative effects of frequent—or even chronic—microaggressions have been well documented for various target groups (see Sue, 2010b, for a review). The cumulative impact and stress from the chronic nature of microaggressions can trigger painful psychological stress responses and reduce students’ sense of belonging on campus (Smith et al., 2007). Furthermore, microaggressions have been shown to assail the mental health of recipients (Sue et al., 2008), create a hostile and invalidating campus climate (Solórzano et al., 2000), perpetuate stereotype threat (Steele et al., 2002), create physical health problems (Clark et al., 1999), and lower work productivity and problem solving abilities (Dovidio, 2001; Salvatore and Shelton,

This paper will discuss the racial microaggression how it has influenced the United States in the past decade. Then, describe the racial microaggression influence that affects the individual view. Next describe the community-level influence, impact of racial microaggression, and racial stereotypes are a major problem in our society. Then, discuss the research on racial microaggression is it a social condition that can arise as a result of the conformity of individuals within a society. Also, explain conformity, social, condition, and socially as well as, the attitudes and beliefs, norms, and implicit behaviors. However, discuss the culture in society along with the dynamics of subtle racial microaggression. Also, discuss the family structure facing racial microaggression. Furthermore, discuss the ethnic, racial microaggression with the racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of microaggression. For instance, discuss the different racial and ethnic group are unequal in power, resources, prestige, and presumed worth.

Psychiatrist Chester Pierce, MD in the 1970’s first introduced the term microaggressions (Sue, 2010). While Dr. Pierce was the first to coin the term, he was not technically the first to start it. In fact, the idea of microaggressions was also introduced in the specific work of Jack Dovidio, PHD (Yale University) and Samuel Gaertner PHD (University of Delaware) when formulating aversive racism (Sue, 2010). Aversive Racism is defined as the following: “Many well-intentioned Whites consciously believe in and profess equality, but unconsciously act in a racist manner, particularly in ambiguous situation” (Sue, 2010). Similarly, microaggressions is defined as:

Derald Wing Sue, a professor of counseling psychology at Colombia University and the leading expert on microaggression, defines microaggression as “the everyday slide snobs… disrespect and insults that people of color are subjective to.” These can range from an individual’s comments (such as “Where are you from? or “I think the most qualified will get the job.”) to who is present on a committee board. Many are calling it the modern version of racism because of its impacts on those in the minority. However, it is important to note that microaggressions do not only deal with race; it can affect any minority, whether the difference is gender, sexuality, or

Microaggression can be so subtle it can be entirely overlooked. James Loewen wrote an article called, “Gone With the Wind The Invisibility of Racism in American History Books”. In the article he covers that the notion that it is ‘natural’ to exclude people based on race is damaging by itself. An acceptance of racism “because all societies are,” is a falsehood meant to soothe white guilt.

Microaggressions have been a relevant issue for minorities spanning decades. However, this problem has proven to be significantly more prevalent in the lives of today’s black community. Recently, I have become progressively more concerned about modern racial issues,such as the topic of microaggressions, that we face as a society because of the detrimental consequences I believe ignorance of the subject can have. Consequently, I felt that I should concentrate on utilizing metacognition in order to become more knowledgeable of these current affairs because, until now, I had a vague understanding of the subject due to my individual inexperience with microaggressions. Personally, I believe metacognition is the key to preventing the growth and continuance of racism and racist tactics. With this in mind, I began researching racial problems to gain more knowledge about the subject and found that I had much to learn. Like me, few are aware that microaggressions are such a frequent problem black Americans encounter because many do not know of the term microaggression due to the word not being officially identified until the 1970s. Professor Chester Pierce defined it as, “...the casual degradation of any socially marginalized group”(DeAngelis). Some may hold the juvenileness of the term accountable for many people’s unfamiliarity with the word. I agree with this notion and feel the phrase microaggression should become a more commonplace term if we are to eventually discontinue the

America is often advertised as a country that is free from discrimination— a place full of acceptance and a place where one could just be his or herself without being judged or thought of as an outcast. However, this is not the case. In today’s society, when one thinks about discrimination, one may most-likely think about race or skin color. Although race and skin color are important factors when it comes this issue, there are many other types of discrimination to consider. As a whole, my sources provide multiple views on different types of discrimination such as self-expression, disease, race, and religion.

The world is the community of human, and globally impacting on every continent. In the 21st centuries, the world is bringing better lifestyle to planet earth, on the other hand it is harming all of us. Advanced medical sciences, improved technology, educational society, and being more accepting of LGBT, which stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender are the steps of the world changing for the better. Although the world has changed, discrimination is still prevailing in our society, furthermore all across the world, people are facing terrorist attacks, and challenging environmental problems every day.

During the last decade, the awareness of racial discrimination, in some extent, happening every day in North America has been aroused, which is called racial microaggression —“a brief and commonplace verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities that communicate negative racial insults to people of colour” (Sue, Capodilupo, et al., 2007). This problem even hit Canada — a multicultural nation — and was widely discussed in Canada after a forced apology. In February 2014, a student, studied at McGill University, was obliged to apologize for an email involved in racial microaggression (Hamilton, 2014). Subsequently, McGill struggled with lots of complaints from its students, and the protest was so strong that hit the headlines (Boesveld, 2014). This incident questions me that why would a top university involve in racial microaggression after it had already been discussing for years, and what are the components of racial microaggression that make it hard to prevent. After research, it turns out that racial microaggression comprises microassault, microinsult and microinvalidation (Sue, Capodilupo, et al., 2007), which explains why microaggression is hard to avert. And this paper will provide some suggestion afterwards.

A majority of people in America conjecture that because slavery has been overcome, complete equality has been reached in the United States. What they fail to recognize are the hardships faced by minorities in today’s society every day, yet discrimination is a persistent factor. The negative stigma placed on people of color first formed by the harsh language used present during slavery in the cases of Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) assisting in the mortality gap between “blacks” and “whites”. However, what we neglect to recall are the stark reasons why inequality exists: the social roles of subordinates and dominates. By evaluating the exclusionary and dehumanizing language present in both Dred Scott v.

Again, to fully assess how to confront microaggressions, we must know their initial intent. Microaggressions are based off biases and stereo types, whether it be racial, sexual, ethnic, etc. In the book, “Microaggressions in Ministry”, written by Cody J. Sanders, it is stated that “microaggression” is a term that found its way into scholarly literature in 1970 when it was introduced by a man named Chester Pierce. The time period in which the term was coined was shortly after the civil rights movement ended, indicating that it is a more discrete form of discrimination toward minorities. However, we cannot fully blame the people who are constructing these microaggressions. According to Derald Wing Sue, a professor of psychology and education at Teachers College of Columbia University, who studies multicultural counseling and racism, no one is immune to sexual and gender based biases. In fact, he states that it is actually

“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” (Sue, Capodilupo, Torino, Bucceri, Holder, Nadal, and Esquilin 271). Microaggressions are smaller more (covert) slight forms of overt racism with attributional ambiguity. Overt “racism a belief that race” (socially constructed) “is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority” and power to dominate over “of a particular race” (Webster). Although the two forms demean albeit control the individuals social psychology, the terminology and usage of the terms have frequently been misused.

Any act of discrimination differentiates one another and tells apart many people who are perceived in a negative way. Stress and anxiety is targeted to many of those who are transgender and gender nonconforming people because of the use of public bathrooms that can lead to very real psychological and physical safety concerns.Transgender individuals face the dangers of harassment, violence, and health issues every day. Yet there is no credible research to support the issue of Unisex bathrooms causing danger to women and children being assaulted. Therefore, inclusive restrooms should be open and required to those who are identified or transitioning to a certain gender because it is hard to know where you belong and no one should feel concerned about their own safety or be at risk for expressing their sexuality because at the end of the day we are all human beings and shouldn’t be treating people awfully who are different and unique in their own way.