Don’t Ask Me Where I’m Really From: Microaggressions and How They Affect BIPOC
By: Michelle Huang
As an Asian kid growing up in the American suburbs, I’ve heard it all before: “Do you eat dogs for dinner?” from the middle schooler across the street, “I only date white girls,” from the love of my life in eighth grade, “Huh, I thought you were supposed to be good at math,” from the project partner who “let” me do all the work. No matter how many times I insist “yes, I’m really from Florida,” or refuse to reply to a random “konnichiwa” thrown at me from the street (…I’m Chinese), microaggressions have continuously existed in every aspect of my life. Like many other BIPOC, microaggressions are so ingrained in my idea of daily living that it has taken me a lot of time just to recognize what they are and the negative effects they have, not to speak of how to take action against them. So, what exactly is a microaggression? What harm do they do to BIPOC? And how do we take a stand against them?
According to Medical News Today, a microaggression is a form of discrimination that appears as an action or comment that isn’t necessarily intended to offend or hurt someone, but ultimately “negatively targets a marginalized group,” invalidating their individual identities and lumping them into a uniform body. When you tell a third generation US immigrant that their “English is really good,” you might not be trying to insult them, but by generalizing someone’s abilities and experience based on their race and appearance, you have diminished their uniqueness and perpetuated the racist ideology that all people of a certain ethnic group must behave and think in the same way.
Microaggressions have promoted the idea that BIPOC are one-dimensional and share uniform beliefs and cultural values, undermining their individuality and attributing their character to a flawed idea of common culture. This causes BIPOC (especially BIPOC youth) to struggle with defining their ethnic identity and develop cognitive dissonance when trying to identify with elements of their cultural background, even causing mental health issues like anxiety and depression. When I was in middle school, the constant bombardment of racist microaggressions from teachers and peers made me struggle with my own identity and believe East Asian culture had to entail being good at math and liking boba tea. To this day I am still taking time to distinguish my Chinese American background from the traits people assume I have because of my ethnicity.
Despite the prevalence of microaggressions, they aren’t always easy to detect, and anyone, even other BIPOC, can be an unwitting aggressor. However, there are ways to consciously avoid this racist behavior and identify when to apologize and learn. Medical News Today recommends you take responsibility for underlying biases or misinformation you have towards certain groups and take measures to educate yourself and understand the perspective of marginalized individuals around you. Be proactive and mindful about what you do and the words you say, recognizing their implications and ways in which they could be generalizing or damaging.
Next time you want to ask where I’m really from, take a step back and ask yourself: “Am I making an assumption about someone purely based on their race or ethnicity?” Don’t forget that we are all individual people with distinct backgrounds and experiences despite our race, and we all need to have sensitivity and awareness before we speak and act in a way that may affect someone else.