Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

• 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?

Example 1: In having a meeting with several coworkers, in light of an expected change of command, the  fate of a certain employee was under scrutiny. While most indicated his fate rested on the financial ability to retain him, one coworker said, “We’ll know what is going to happen to him by next week. He was one of  “her people,” referring to the shared ethnicity of the command and thee employee and insinuating his job was a product of that shared ethnicity. I was angered at hearing the comment, his job was contingent on his abilities when hired but was now reliant on finances. Race was not a factor.  

Example 2: Recently, I participated in an online training for my career that used Webinars, live seminars conducted over the internet. Understanding that webinars are live and primarily audio, I informed my instructor early on, that “hearing” all of the information may be difficult and written support is needed. Just prior to the third webinar, I receive an email that states, “FYI to avoid frustration I feel that you should know that this webinar is fast passed and you will struggle retaining the information…” I was offended, I have difficulty hearing not comprehending and it will not matter how fast or slow one speaks, if they cannot properly enunciate and articulate their words.

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

While the gentleman did not hear the comment being made, had he, I believe he would have been hurt. The statement insinuated he was not qualified or capable of the job, but merely held it as a racial privilege. I myself was offended at the stereotype placed on me, her statement, while most likely intended innocently, said to me, “because you are hearing impaired, you are stupid.” She generalized having a disability as being cognitively impaired and defined my by that.