Page 73 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Clash of Racial Realities 47

betrayed because of her concern for the safety of fellow fliers, or the two

passengers of color who believe the actions were tinged with racial overtones?
This is not an easy question to answer and represents a true psychologi-
cal dilemma. There are, however, some studies and anecdotal observations
that may shed light on this question. It has been found, for example, that
(1) unconscious racial, gender, and sexual - orientation biases exist in many
mainstream individuals (Bonilla - Silva, 2006; Burn, Kadlac, & Rexer, 2005;
Dovidio et al., 2002; Fukuyama, Miville, & Funderburk, 2005; Swim, Hyers,
Cohen, & Ferguson, 2001), (2) they often appear in the form of unintentional
discrimination (Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000; Rowe, 1990; Sue, Lin, Torino,
Capodilupo, & Rivera, 2009), and (3) the most disempowered groups have a
more accurate assessment of reality, especially relating to whether discrimina-
tory behavior is bias - motivated (Hanna et al., 2000; Keltner & Robinson, 1996).
This last fi nding seems to make sense because it is consistent with the life
experience of marginalized groups. Women, for example, who work for a
primarily male - dominated company often say they must understand the think-
ing and mind - set of their male colleagues in order to do well in the company
(earn retention and promotion). They often complain that no such reciprocity
exists with male colleagues; for them to do well, they need not understand
the worldview of female coworkers! People of color and many LGBTs also
say that their individual and group survival is based on the ability to read the
minds of persons of other groups. To survive in a highly racist or homopho-
bic society, people of color and LGBTs must understand the thinking of the
dominant group. Forced to operate in a predominately White, Eurocentric,
male, and straight society, survival for people of color, women, and LGBTs
depends on their ability to accurately discern “ the truth, ” the potential biases
they are likely to encounter, and the thoughts and actions of those who hold
power over them. Some have suggested that people of color, for example,
have developed a heightened perceptual awareness that is derived from adver-
sity (Hanna et al., 2000; Sue, 2003). Thus, the hypervigilance in discerning the
motives, attitudes, and the often unintentional biased contradictions of White
Americans is perceived by marginalized groups not as “ paranoia, ” but rather
as functional survival skills.
Thus, in answering the question as to understanding racial realities, I pose
the following questions: If you want to understand sexism, do you ask men
or women? If you want to understand homophobia or heterosexism, do you
ask straights or gays? If you want to understand racism, do you ask Whites or

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