Picture being told, “You talk really well for someone like you,” or getting ignored in a meeting just because of your gender or ethnicity. It can be hard trying to be yourself and express yourself in society while facing everyday microaggressions. These little comments are often brushed off as nothing, but they can seriously affect how someone feels about themselves and where they fit in. In a time when equality is more important than ever, we need to see and deal with the damage these everyday unfairnesses cause. Here’s why this matters: Those little words can really hurt your confidence and make you doubt where you belong in a world that sometimes seems like it wasn’t made for you. Whether it’s a remark on how you look, how you talk, or ideas about your background, these experiences pile up and can leave you feeling ignored or misjudged. After a while, they can make you feel isolated like you’re always trying to balance between blending in and being different. People in society should think twice before saying things out loud to other people from different backgrounds that can be impactful, such as talking about who they are relating to their ethnicity, culture, or sexuality. These unnecessary comments can make people of color or from different backgrounds feel uncomfortable, resulting in microaggressions. Another solution that can be implemented to stop this problem is practicing self-awareness and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, and actions and how they can impact others. If we all can follow these steps as a society, microaggressions will be severely less common, ensuring a more safe society and community.
Many people in society deal with microaggressions daily, which highly impact their daily lives. The Oxford dictionary defines racism as prejudice and discrimination based on race, and most racism isn’t always intentional. Implicit bias is when we unknowingly show attitudes or connect stereotypes with people. Stereotyping and prejudice could lead to a negative thought or perspective of the other person without doing it on purpose. This is a part of the effects of microaggressions and what it could have on the people involved. In an article called, “Say What? Microaggressions, Your Health, and What to Do About Them,” University of California in San Francisco noted that every one in five U.S. citizens endures at least one microaggression of any type daily. While microaggressions aren’t usually covered as impactful, they can lead to anything from poor sleep to low self-esteem to even depression. Microaggressions are sneaky, hidden forms of racism. And even though they sound minor, their effects are anything but small. Selah Brown is a 35-year-old woman living in London, and she explains her story of the microaggressions that she faces while being a black woman living in the United Kingdom. On her way to work, a random guy from the street took a big bite of chips so that he could spit them at her as she walked into a retail store. She was wearing a fancy 900 Euro Marni dress, but apparently, even a designer outfit can’t protect her from the racial microaggressions and discrimination she deals with all the time in society. How could a black woman working as a senior corporate executive and leading a team supposed to get through her day and do well at her job while also dealing with all of the racial microaggressions and racism that she faces daily? As a result, we saw an example of a microaggression and also an assault/battery since the man chewed up chips just to spit it on to her and even though people could interpret this as a small impact, this can significantly affect her self-esteem and her overall body image because the man had no reason to do that by all means and could have served jail time or a fine depending on the country. The evidence makes it clear that people in society face prejudice and microaggressions based on a dislike of who they are, which is normally based on their race.
Recognizing and understanding microaggressions and their impact is crucial for creating a more inclusive and equitable environment. According to “Microaggressions in Medicine” from Oxford Academic Books,the term “microaggression” was coined in the 1970s by Chester Pierce, a Harvard University psychiatrist, to describe the subtle ways that Black people experienced discrimination. As stated by the University of Colorado, Denver, telling a person of a different ethnicity where they’re “actually” from can create the meaning that they aren’t from the United States and are foreigners in the country. Things like complimenting a person of a different ethnicity on their English speaking skills, saying things like “That’s so gay,” and expressing surprise at someone’s performance (thinking they would not do well because of their gender or ethnicity) are some of the many microaggressions that are most common in today’s society. As you can see, microaggressions can affect any type of group of any sexuality or ethnicity, and considering the impact it can have is something to be cautious of. This evidence relates to my claim because any of the examples used could have been avoided if one had thought twice about how words can potentially affect the other person. Nobody wants to be judged and disrespected, so please be mindful. Thinking twice and practicing self-awareness are great ways to avoid microaggressions, which make sure one’s feelings are safe and aren’t being hurt and disrespected.
As discussed, microaggressions are often overlooked but provide a deep hit to people, especially those who experience microaggressions regularly. The impact of microaggressions is cumulative and results in emotional and psychological harm, which can impact an individual’s self-esteem and mental well-being. But we as a society can do something to lessen how often they happen. If we all only took a second to think about how our words might influence others, we could avoid propagating damaging assumptions and biases without ever realizing it. If we just focus more on what we say, the world can become a more safe and welcoming place for everyone. We should all be conscious of the enormous impact that our words have and make an effort to be nice and respectful to everyone. If we all do our part to reduce microaggressions, we can create a society where everyone, no matter the ethnicity or sexuality, truly feels like they belong.
