Noa Simon
7/30/2015
Q. Microaggressions and other inequities will inevitably persist largely due to the dominant middle class culture of power. Discuss.
Forcing awareness and confrontation through discussion is a
necessity when attempting to end racial micro-aggressions over a long period of
time. Micro-aggressions “verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs,
whether intentional or unintentional.” At times, these actions are not
perceived as offensive by the aggressor and are said without thought.
Additionally, micro aggressions are more subtle, and may not be seen as racist
on the surface right away. Describing someone as “ghetto” or “sketchy” because
of their skin color, or asking someone where they are from are types of micro aggressions,
because these are instances of assigning set characteristics to one’s race.
Also, a micro aggression can be in the form of one’s reaction to another
person, shown through everyday interactions like bumping into someone on the
street. The stem of micro aggressions (both towards white people and people of
color) is the white power structure that dominates the United States. The
center of control in this country lies in the hand of white people
(specifically males), and because of this, white people are born with an
automatic advantage because of their race. These benefits may be intangible
initially, but can materialize later in life. For example, one being given the
benefit of the doubt by the police is largely dependent on their race. People
who aren’t white can be very successful in the US but they still have to
overcome this roadblock, because unfortunately, race effects how one is
perceived by others. Also, because of this structure there are unequal
educational, housing and job opportunities for people of different races. This
leads to the creation of additional stereotypes and reinforces the ideals of
white superiority. Because of this center of control, white people remain on
top, and it’s very hard for this system to be destructed. Those who have the
power are able to protect this arbitrary system because they have it in the
first place. By stereotyping and using micro aggressions, some white people try
to justify themselves having this superior position (even though this is
something that to me, is un-justifiable). For these reasons, micro aggressions
cannot end until the system of white
dominance is deconstructed. Despite this, I believe that our thinking as a
nation can be changed overtime through encouraging self-awareness and facing
these issues head on. Whether at home, or in academic places like Go Project,
discussing these issues of racial inequity can help people examine their
thinking, and understand why they think the way they do to a greater extent.
The discomfort caused by discussion is even more important and productive
because it prompts self-reflection and can cause one to doubt their past
thinking. This also helps people of all races to understand one another’s point
of view, broadening their perspective and helping them to be more thoughtful
when speaking to one another in the future. Through discussion, one learns that
we are all just people, not defined or different because of our races. This can
help to combat stereotyping and microaggressions in the context of race but
also in gender, religion, and other aspects of one’s life overall.
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