It is very likely that every person has heard a comment or joke in their daily life that made someone feel uncomfortable. Sometimes people witness this behaviour, but do not take into account what they hear. Sometimes they are the ones who tell the joke without realizing how offensive it might be to someone else. These words or gestures are unintentionally non-inclusive.
What are they?
Microaggression is a term used for common everyday verbal or behavioral insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that create the perception of hostility, contempt, or negative attitudes toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups.
Microaggressions can be directed against ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, or other characteristics that make people different.
To be clear, the “micro” part of microaggression does not mean that these actions cannot have major, even life-changing, impacts. They can hurt almost as much as physical pain, which is another good reason to address them when seen.
The most common examples
Comments like “You’re doing great for someone our age” or “You look good for someone your age” are insults disguised as compliments, which are common microaggressions. This type of comments is tinged with negative undertones, although often the one who says them is not aware of it. These microaggressions are a classic example of ageism, discrimination of one person against others or oneself based on age.
Sometimes questions can be perceived as offensive. “Where are you really from?” suggests that the person asking does not assume that the person answering is really part of that society. Often in the US people of Asian descent are asked how to say something in their language, when in fact they were born in the US and English is their native language. Complimenting a native English speaker for speaking English very well is also insulting and makes people feel like foreigners in their own country.
Making assumptions about someone’s job based on appearance is also a common microaggression. In the US, people of Latin American descent are sometimes mistaken for support staff because of the way they look.
Using nicknames, frowning, or other facial expressions in response to misunderstandings can also count as microaggression behaviors.
How to react as a person witnessing microaggression
When a colleague makes an inappropriate joke that involves an offensive stereotype during a meeting, an immediate reaction is important. A person in a managerial position might respond with the phrase “We don’t joke like that in our team.” A person on the same team might ask “What do you mean by that?” or immediately comment “That was offensive/rude”.
If one does not take action at the moment the situation is happening, it means they are taking the position of the one who discriminates. If, however, the moment is not appropriate, ideally soon after the incident, but face to face with the person who told the joke, it is good to clarify that it was inappropriate and this should not be repeated again.
