NRS 310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Microaggression Theory, Dubuque, Iowa
Based on your reading of Wing-Sue, D. et al. (2007) on microaggressions:
1. Define “Racial Microaggression.” Describe the three forms it may take.
• “Racial microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or
environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate
hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color”
(Wing-Sue, D. et al. 2007).
• Microassault: An intention verbal or nonverbal attack towards an individual. One
way micro assaults can take form is through a verbal attack of the person. Micro
assaults are considred intentional and deliberately discriminatory
• Microinsult: devaluing people of color by claiming they are not qualified or don’t
fit a set ability. Micro assaults attack a persons identify and heritage. They can be
less direct than micro assaults.
• Microinvalidation: The exclusion of people of color from events or conversations
due to a pre conceived notion about those people. They additionally negate the
experiences an individual has.
2. Give an example from your experience:
a. Describe one experience you may have had, or one experience you may have
observed,
with racial microaggression.
• This Christmas break my family and I were celebrating New Years Eve in our living
room. My mother’s family was reminiscing about their childhood upbringing and
the friends they gained along the way. For context, my mother and father both grew
up in Dubuque, Iowa. My mother is a very social person and accepts everyone for
who they are regardless if they are a person of color. My grandfather on the other
hand is much more racially insensitive and has been his entire life. One of my
mother’s closest friends in high school was a person of color. When talking about
people she used to date, my grandfather commented “Good thing you didn’t date
that Nigger”. (sorry for explicative language).
b. What did you do or say or think at the time?
• After that comment was said, the entire room fell silent. I am someone who does not
stand for racial discrimination in any form. However, due my parents wanting me to
prevent further family drama, I kept my mouth shut in hope someone would stand up.
c. How, if you could, would you do things differently?
• If that occurred today, I would strongly consider disregarding my parents wishes for
me to keep mouth shut and call my grandfather out for his insensitive and
discriminatory language.
3. What feels uncomfortable about thinking about racial microaggression?
• What makes me feel most uncomfortable about micro aggressions is the fear that I am
causing those actions myself without me even knowing. I have many friends of color
and I hope to never disregard their culture, way of life, or heritage in anyway.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
2007): microassault: an intention verbal or nonverbal attack towards an individual. One way micro assaults can take form is through a verbal attack of the person. Micro assaults are considred intentional and deliberately discriminatory: microinsult: devaluing people of color by claiming they are not qualified or don"t fit a set ability. Micro assaults attack a persons identify and heritage. They can be less direct than micro assaults: microinvalidation: the exclusion of people of color from events or conversations due to a pre conceived notion about those people. My mother"s family was reminiscing about their childhood upbringing and the friends they gained along the way. For context, my mother and father both grew up in dubuque, iowa. My mother is a very social person and accepts everyone for who they are regardless if they are a person of color. My grandfather on the other hand is much more racially insensitive and has been his entire life.
