One example of a microaggression I detected this week
happened this morning at a wedding I attended. It was a beautiful multicultural
wedding. The groom is Cuban and the bride is African-American. We were at the
reception and the party began. The DJ began to play a variety of songs from old
school to new school. After about an hour the DJ began to play Spanish music.
At this point, one of my friends exclaimed “Duh, of course they would play
Spanish music; I’m surprised they did not play it
earlier”. At first, I laughed at her statement. After awhile I actually thought
what she said and realized it was not funny. I told her that just because he is
Cuban may not even mean that he likes Spanish music or that Spanish music must
be played at his wedding. She told me
that she did not really mean the statement and that she had not really thought
about what she said. She actually apologized and we went on with the party.
This experience made me realize how often and quickly
microaggressions happen. I also realized that sometimes we may not realize that
our comments are stereotyping or discriminating. Many people do not think about
what they say before they say it. I was reminded that sometimes when microaggressions
happen they are not truly intended to hurt anyone. Society is so used to making
jokes and comments about people who are not like us. The experience reminded me
to think before I speak and be careful of hurting other people.
Dorcas,
ReplyDeleteI think it took courage to address the comment and you were correct in bringing awareness to the issue. Often they are unintentional, yet they can have a damaging effect on the one targeted by the microaggression.
Dorcas, I think we all come encounter with such statements and don't realize the microaggression until the aftermath but for you to realize that the statement was hurtful and a microaggression is great and to let your friend know that it's not okay to make such assumptions based on the race of a person.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are right, our prejudice and stereotype sometimes happen without us even realizing it until what has been said has been said. Microaggression is there and the sooner we realize it the better we can try to control it.
ReplyDeleteI think the majority of microaggressions are unconscious statements, that directly impact the recipient. you are absolutely right, we have to be very careful what we say and how we say it. I think that if we view each other as individuals instead of the labeling elements of who we are we can demolish some of these detrimental occurrences.
ReplyDeleteHello Dorcas,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great example of microaggressions that happens on a repeated basis! In most cases, we even are unaware that we are performing an aggression. Congratulations for tactfully addressing with your friend the racial microaggression that had just occurred, even though you were not the recipient of it. Only with a collective awareness of microaggressions, may we see microaggression recede. Thank you for showing courage to walk the talk!