No tags yet.
Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or. unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.
Acknowledging microaggressions is a fairly new concept for me, which I learned in one of my communication classes titled "The Rhetoric of Marginalized Voices". The definition is a little ambigous, especially to someone who has little knowledge or experience with human communication. That being said, I find the easiest way to explain it is by example. So without further introduction, I give you the complete list of things to say if you're interested in me jumping on my social justice high horse, and droppin' some knowledge on your ass.
Aggression: "You're/She's really pretty for a Black girl.
Explanation: The problem with this statement, is that it insinuates the most ideal, supreme, beauty standard for females can only be reached by having white skin. Someone can't just be attractive because they're attractive? Was it necessary to denote race as a disclaimer on your backhanded compliment? We could even take it a step further and examine the color "nude", which is only actually accurate to your skin tone, if you are white.
Aggression: You're really smart, funny, talented, good driver, athletic, tall, fat, human, successful, ugly, muscular, a person, interesting, jab, jab, jab, insert sexist jab here, and another here, FOR A GIRL.
Explanation: So what's the comparison here? Oh so as a female, the standard by which my success is measured by, is based on the gender society has deemed as most superior, aka men! K got it. That explains the 23% wage gap because clearly only men function at 100%, and therefore are worthy of 100% of the income. Wait girls can be funny, AND SMART, (Explosion Noise) mind blown. Or the nice subtle insult that doing something like a girl is considered lesser, underachieving, and overall an insult. I go to class like a girl, I do homework like a girl, I take a shower like a girl, I sleep like a girl, I cry like a girl, I laugh like a girl, I deadlift 200lbs like a girl, and I wake up in the morning like a girl, because I am a girl, therefore everything I do is like a girl, so according to this statement, everything I am doing from waking up to going to bed at night is wrong, because I did it all like a girl.
Aggression: I know oppression, my (insert European country here) ancestors were slaves.
Explanation:That's very unfortunate for your ancestors, but you're white, and the political, social, and economic sphere still revolves aroud your favor, and therefore does not affect you in any way, shape, or form.
Aggression: "Do you really need to eat that?"
Explanation: "Fuck you and your fascist beauty standards" enough said.
Aggression: So who's the man and who's the woman? To lesbian and gay couples
Explanation: No one is the man and no one is the woman, they're both men, and both women, who are attracted to one another, that doesn't suddenly change one's feminity or masculanity, and then we have gender roles all involved and what not, which is an entire other sweater to unwravel, so please just stop now and save everyone time.
Aggresion: "She was asking for it"
A. Explanation: The way in which a man justifies sexual assault by alluding to the conclusion that the way in which someone dresses, acts, etc. that it automatically communicated the message that she wanted to be tackeled down, beaten, raped, etc. So did my shirt have those specific instructions on it, because otherwise I'm having a hard time distinguishing the connection between the length of my shirt or skirt, has anything to do with asking to be raped, flawless logic there.
B. "She was drunk it doesn't count, because she really didnt say either way"
So are you telling me that if you ask someone if you want them to shoot you or not and you dont answer, you automatically assume yes, of course they want the worst possible case scenario, and do it anyways? No, because that would be fucked up and twisted, point made.
C. Well she was in my bed?
Oh so if something is touching something of yours by the transitive method, that automatically makes them yours too, so have at it! Your kid touched my kid so now your kid is mine now too, science!
Aggression: "Do you have your green card?" to any appearing hispanic or Latino person you meet. Explanation: Hahaha that was a good joke, you assumed because I'm Mexican that I'm not a legal citizen, that's hilarious isn't it guys?! (just read it outloud 5 times until you hear how stupid you sound and we can skip the explanation)
Aggression: Anytime a white person uses the "N" word to describe their close knit relationship with one of their fellow and equally white "homies", uses it to describe a member of the Black community, using it at all actually. OR using the argument "well they get to say it so why can't i it's
not fair"
Explanation: The word is historically oppressive, has carried an extremly negative connotation over time, and is actually an oppressive term white slave owners used to degrade their Black slaves, it just doesn't send a very good message coming out of a white person's mouth. AND NO, "they" don't just "get" the word, if members of a marginalized group choose to reown and redefine something previously used as insult against them as a term of indearment, by all mean yes, it's the same reason I can call my best friend bitch when i walk into her house but if her boyfriend did it I'd claw his eyeballs out.
Aggression: "Race isn't an issue anymore"
Explanation: Dylan Roof, the entire premise of the documentary "Freakanomics", making racist jokes, and even laughing at them.
Aggression: I'm not racist but.... Black people make me uncomfortable
Explanation: Black people make you uncomfortable because you are a racist, fixed the wording there for ya.
Hope you learned something, more to come!