Page 104 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

78 the microaggression process model

I didn ’ t really belong going where the rest of the people were going, you know, so I
was sent that way. ”

You Are Abnormal
Abnormality in this case is defined from a White Western - European male per-

spective. Normality can be defined in terms of (1) a statistical average (what-

ever occurs most frequently in the population), (2) deviations from accepted
standards of behavior, or (3) some idealized notion of desirability endorsed
by the dominant society (D. Sue, D. W. Sue, & Sue, 2010). These standards of
normality and abnormality may apply to cultural values, personality traits
and attributes, behaviors, and even dress and appearance. LGBTs are believed
to be abnormal in their sexual orientation and behaviors (Douce, 2005; Herek,
1998). Asian American students may be labeled shy, inhibited, and repressed
because their cultural dictates emphasize subtlety and indirectness in
approaching tasks. Communication styles of African Americans, because they
emphasize passion, may be viewed as “ out of control and too emotional. ”
African Americans have a sarcastic saying: “ The White way is the right way. ”
The abnormality theme can also affect appearance and dress. A Black
woman describes conversations that get generated among her White coworkers

about Black hairstyles: “ You ’ re being made to feel like a novelty, and it ’ s insulting
to you because you ’ re like, well where do you come from that there ’ s no one else like

me? Because what I look like is normal, you know? ” A male participant referred to
his traditional African dress: “ I mean, that ’ s my traditional way of dressing, you

know, why should I have to explain it? It makes me feel like I am being questioned.
Something is wrong with me, or what? ”

You Are Intellectually Inferior
Attributions of general intellectual inferiority and specific intellectual defi cits

are often correlated with skin color and gender. Women are seen to be defi cient
in rational thinking (math and sciences) (Banaji & Greenwald, 1995), Asian
Americans are poor in people relations and make weak leaders (S. Sue, Sue,
Zane, & Wong, 1985; Wong & Halgin, 2006), and African Americans lack
abstract conceptual reasoning (Jones, 1997). These messages are conveyed in

a variety of ways. One participant reports, “ Their face drops, like, surely you
couldn ’ t be the manager. But you ’ re a young Black female! Why would you be the man-
ager? ” Another participant shares a similar experience, “ So when I walk into a

hospital and say I ’ m here to fix your machine, I either get a double - take initially . . . .
They ’ re not too sure of the skills level. They ask me a lot of questions . . . it ’ s subtle,

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