Page 105 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

The Microaggression Process Model 79

it ’ s more like they want to find out what I know and who I am before they trust me

with it. ” Several other participants describe interview incidents: “ You know,
‘ you articulate so well. ’ Shouldn ’ t that be something you expect all your applicants to
do? I have a Bachelor ’ s degree. Do you think I didn ’ t pass seventh - grade English? ”

You Are Not Trustworthy
“ I go to [department stores], especially as a Black man, I mean every time I go
into that place, somebody ’ s watching me, somebody ’ s walking behind me, trying
to monitor me or whatever. I ’ m there to steal, or I ’ m there to rob someone, right? ”
According to many Black Americans, the distrust issue can be environmentally

communicated: “ [In the music store], the hip hop and rap section has the protec-
tive case over it, but the rest of the music didn ’ t. Why does it have this huge white
frame around it . . . you can ’ t look at the songs on the back, and the rest don ’ t
have that, so it kind of speaks to the idea that the owners are afraid these CDs will
get stolen. ” Some of the most frequently reported microaggressive incidents
were being closely monitored in stores, constant questions regarding their
identities, and being asked about their motives and intentions in a multitude
of settings. The association of criminality was strong in all of these reported
incidents.

You Are All the Same
On a symbolic physical level, the statement “ You people all look alike, ” cap-
tures the essence of this microaggression. There are several offensive assump-
tions made in this statement: (1) individual differences do not exist, and (2)
the Asian or Black experience is universal. As a result, members of margin-
alized groups are expected to represent or speak for all their members. One
Black informant expressed irritation at his boss who constantly came to him
to check on the pronunciation of names he deduced were Black ones. For
example, “ I can pronounce ‘ Darrell, ’ but am I pronouncing ‘ Malachi ’ and ‘ Aiysha ’

correctly? ” Another made a similar observation: “ The same manager in the same

job, he came to me, and he was like, ‘ Do I say African American or Black? ’ . . . Don ’ t
assume that because I ’ m Black I know how everyone in my race wants to be called. ”
Another participant stated “ [White people] are asking this information not so much
to learn about you, but because they ’ re trying to obtain some information about Black
people . . . . Maybe I don ’ t know what other Black people do fifty percent or more of the

time. It just puts you in an awkward situation where you have to feel like you have to
define yourself to them because they decide you ’ re Black so you ’ re going to have a lot

more information. ”

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