According to Dr. Sue, microaggressions are: "everyday verbal, and nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs, or insights, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership" (Sue, D. 2011)
Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?
- One microaggression that I can recall from another time that had me furious was; being in a department store and having two different scenarios occur. The first one was as soon as you enter a store there's always somebody to recognize you and welcome you to their store. I said hello and thank you. The store person proceeds to ask if there's anything specific I am looking for and can she be of any assistance to me? I again say thank you, but I am just looking. She says, okay if you shall need some help my name is _______ and I will be happy to assist you. For the third time I say thank you, and walk away. About ten minutes into looking at clothes, I see these two children running in and out of clothes racks, being unruly, and not tended to by a responsible parent or caregiver. The woman (who I assumed was the mother) notices my facial expression and displeasure of the children being annoying. She then desperately and dramatically calls the kids at the top of her lungs and said "oh my gosh" you two children need to stay at my side where I can see you, do you want somebody to kidnap you!" As that situation died down, the same store representative came over and begins straightening up each pile of clothes that I walk next to.
Having felt so beyond disrespected, annoyed, and that my constitutional rights had been violated; I immediately left that store and within the next few days email a letter to the headquarters of my experience. A response was returned apologizing for feeling that I was being stalked and furthermore followed. Having proof that I was a very regular customer, they had just hired new employees and many complaints had been coming in about similar situations. In an effort to assure that never happens again, I was given some coupons (basically to shut me up); but also told that him the CEO himself would look into the situation. Something I doubt, but okay.
From both aspects of the mother thinking I was a kidnapper and the store clerk thinking I was there to steal merchandise; I felt humiliated, annoyed, disrespected, amongst a bunch of other feelings. I still often wonder what would I have had to done differently in body, language, or facial expressions ??? I also felt that something other than shelling out some coupons which is very easy to do and have somebody shut up for a few dollars of discount, should have been done. Even though I never received and never will because I do not know that lady, but I would have liked to ask the lady why it was that she thought I was a kidnapper? And honestly I would have appreciated an apology, because in all actuality what are you teaching your young children; that all black people are kidnappers??? That is totally unacceptable!
In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people
- I noticed that most microaggressions in one way or another, all trickle back down to discrimination, prejudice, and other stereotypical traits. Realizing that we are about to go into 2014, we as a people need to let these things go and allow the world to be as it is without juding individuals, making jokes and teasing, or grouping people together because of the color of their skin. My question will always be the same until there is an answer to come from it; WHEN WILL IT ALL END????
Sue, D. Dr. (2011) Microaggressions in Everyday Life; Course Media
Hello Sherrell,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I am sorry that you had to experience such humiliation, especially in a department store. If the worker thought you wanted to steal merchandise out of the store, it was a better way that she could have spy on you without you knowing it. She make it so obviously until you couldn’t help but to notice. Why the little child’s mother made such powerful statement we will never know, but that was an intentional and an insulting microaggression from both parties. Great Posting!!
Ida
Thanks for your post this week. I wonder if the mother thought you were judging HER. She might have interpreted your facial expression as an evaluation of her parenting, as if your expression said to her "watch your kids, don't you know what could happen to them?" and responded from a shame place that let you know that she noticed. I have shopped with several of my black friends and some of them have commented that it is easier to shop with me, a white person, because I am seen as an endorsement of their trustworthiness. This was surprising to me. I have also shopped with black teenagers when store personnel have not made the connection that the teens were in my care, I was blown out of the water by the way they were treated in some retail stores, not all, but some. I wish I had the answer to your question "When will it all end?". It must be frustrating and I want you to know that I hate that you are still having these experiences in 2013. UGH!
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