Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions - week 4

 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions


On Saturday evening I attended a barbeque with some friends. While there a gentleman began to tell me about an experience he had while living in Spain. The experience he described to me was a microaggression. The man explained to me that there was a club in Spain that if he, an African American male, went to alone he would not be let in. The owners of the establishment would point out something he is wearing and say it was against the dress code. However, if he went to the club with a local Spaniard he would be let into the club. The owners of the club were assuming that people who are non-Spaniard were perhaps criminals or would be disrespectful in some sort of way to the club. The man’s experience was an example of a racial microaggression.


When the gentleman was describing his experience in Spain I was not surprised. I often here stories of how African American’s are treated in overseas countries. Generally, I have heard that if or when African American’s identify themselves as American and not African people will treat us differently. The stereotype is that African Americans that work for the United States government have a lot of money. Therefore, it is better to speak and interact with African Americans than Africans for financial benefits. According to Dr. Derald Wing Sue, “The last issue of dilemma of a racial microaggression is a Catch-22. Oftentimes, what happens with a person of color that receives a racial microaggression is that did I think what happened really happened?” (Laureate Education, 2011). This is possibly the same feeling I would have had if I was that gentleman at the club in Spain. I would have been shocked by the behavior of the club owner. In addition, I would have left upset and disgusted by the treatment.


My experience this week affected my perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people by reminding me that they are still occurring to people all the time. I do not find myself in situations of discrimination to often. I definitely never intentionally behavior in a manner that is displaying discrimination. I think it is important to remember that there are people that have experienced discrimination in their life and now are causes of other people because of the discrimination they have experienced. It is vital to be sensitive the experiences children and parents have experienced. It is important to treat children and families equally and respectfully.

 

Reference

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life (Video File). Retrieved from http://class.waldenu.edu.

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