Identity Summary
Identity is one of the most important aspects on which the personality of individuals is formed. The study of this aspect provides a deeper understanding of other people and identifies the primary problems that exist in this area of society at present. The experience of Mariangelly Sierra, MS, LPCA, NCC, demonstrates that one such serious issue is microaggression, which often manifests in relation to racial, ethnic, immigration, or national identity.
The central figure of this study is Mariangelly Sierra, a 35-year-old cisgender and pansexual woman who is raising a child alone. Moreover, she notes that despite growing up in a family that values Christian values, Sierra is spiritual rather than religious at the moment. Regarding racial identity, the woman is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants who moved to America when she was five years old and, after that, often moved back and forth. Sierra embraces her Latin roots and considers it essential that her child grows up in a bilingual and bicultural environment like her own. One of the problems faced by a woman is microaggressions towards the white population.
Experiences with Identity-Related Microaggression
Microaggression is one of the most subtle forms of manifestation of racist worldviews in society. The primary threat of this aspect is that it is most challenging to address due to its subtle nature, particularly in light of the influence of unconscious bias. Microaggressions can be defined as “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to people of color because they belong to a racial minority group” (Sue et al., 2007, p. 273).
Due to the occurrence of these circumstances, the problem arises that individuals, daily, face the problem of being overlooked, neglected, and devalued because of their racial characteristics. It is possible to conduct a relationship between Sierra’s experiences and microaggressions related to racial and immigration identity. Thus, the woman stressed that she had a biased attitude towards the residents of the United States of America, as she viewed them as evil people. This opinion could have been formed due to Siera’s background, which included constant moving as her family struggled to adapt to a new society.
This representation of the white population as the supreme oppressors of their nation significantly distorted the woman’s real perception of the people around her. In this case, she encountered a key concept: unintentional expressions of bias (Sue et al., 2007). Over time, when she began to learn more about the culture in which she lives and interacted more with its representatives, her point of view changed. However, she still struggles with a complete rejection of bias, which often shifts into microaggressions.
Comparison to Personal Experiences
I believe that my experience differs from Mariangelly Sierra’s, as I have never encountered a manifestation of microaggression on my part. It is possible that, in some cases, I may have overlooked it, but with the growth of my awareness and education, I have learned to limit this behavior. At the same time, I understand how this aspect can become an obstacle in everyday life, interaction, and building fruitful relationships with people. My reaction to hearing about the panelist’s experiences was one of pride that she was attempting to cope with her problem.
Reference
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.