It is commonly recognized that race, and therefore microaggressions directed at it, are elements of social construct. It is not a biological concept since all people share the same genome and there is no genetic difference. between races and color of skin. The race is based on socially constructed views, often determined by history and the majority population. Therefore, someone who is a person of a color minority in the United States will be a normal part of the population in South America, whilst white people are the minority. Microaggressions have been typically used alongside racism as an element of white privilege establishing dominance and the assumption of competency, safety, and non criminality (Onwuachi-Willig). Therefore, as noted by Dr. Sue, microaggressions are often thematically specific, for example towards African American individuals they have the underlying themes of criminality.
Dr. Sue notes that there is an issue of metacommunication that underlies overt intentions or meaning. Through these, foreign individuals, or even those who are second-generation immigrants, born in the United States, will continuously feel as ‘alien’ in the country. The messages inherently indicate that the person is not truly a part of the country (Stanford). It is difficult to find countries where racism does not exist. Virtually every country in the world has prevalent racial or xenophobic biases towards a certain group due to cultural clashes and historical events. However, countries that have open-minded and progressive cultures and political agendas have significantly fewer exemplifications of racism. For example, Scandinavian countries in Europe or more isolated nations such as New Zealand that strive toward open-mindedness and anti-racist policies, have significantly less racism and incidences of hate crimes.
The point of the race as a social construct is inherently to create a classification system based on which groups of individuals can identify. Similar to culture, racial groups often share some individual characteristics beyond the color of skin. However, in reality, race also serves as a factor of division. While race potentially is an identification of ancestry that came from either Europe, Asia, the Americas, or Sub-Saharan Africa, the human agency of race as a social construct that is meant to benefit some while bringing down others based on traits and characteristics that have been largely assigned or stereotyped (Coates). Depending on the country, the majority race or the race in power will benefit from it more. Even if there is no overt racism in place, covert racism and microaggressions will inherently create social barriers for minorities. Racism and microaggressions have a major impact on the psychological well-being and equity of individuals in terms of various social elements such as education, healthcare, and employment (Stanford).
Dr. Sue defines microaggressions are the “everyday slights, insults, and validations that people of color experience in their day-to-day interactions with well-intentioned individuals that are unaware that they have engaged in a microaggressive act that may prove harmful or invalidating to the person [being addressed]” (Standford). Every individual has used microaggressions at some point in their life. I have heard from friends that they have had moments when being nearby a black individual dressed a certain way have made me tense, and even though they did not say anything, the tense body language is a form of microaggression. I, myself, have demonstrated this behavior by assuming that a foreigner was not well-versed in English, and chose oversimplified words in a context that made it seem to invalidate. The best method to avoid microaggressions is to reflect on past behaviors and recognize when they occur, combined with education regarding cultural awareness and the impact that such behaviors may have.
In terms of workplace supervisors or hiring practices, the best recommendation would be to practice equitable behavior that avoids emphasis on racial or cultural differences. It seems that most often, people attempt to recognize these elements and with good intentions, connect with the individuals based on this. However, it often has the opposite effect of singling out the workers and may result in demonstrations of microaggressions. A workplace is a professional place that must seek to have cultural competency as an understanding but treat people of color equitably to their counterparts.
Works Cited
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “What We Mean When We Say ‘Race Is a Social Construct’.” The Atlantic, 2013, Web.
Onwuachi-Willig, Angela. “Race and Racial Identity Are Social Constructs.” The New York Times, 2016, Web.
Stanford. “Implicit Bias and Microaggressions: The Macro Impact of Small Acts” Youtube, lecturer Derald Wing Sue, 2015, Web.