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As a woman, I found that ignoring and not letting microaggressions stick in mind for long is the easiest way to stay as unaffected by them as possible. I do, however, think that if you are a witness to somebody else being stereotyped or talked down to, the only right decision is to interfere and push back even if the attempt is futile. Something that was recently said to me by a male manager: "we've thought about giving you a promotion for a while; you are good for this role, but most females are too... dynamic for leadership positions." He said it with a smile and meant it as a compliment. At that moment, I would have preferred to be put in the same category with "dynamic women" because that would be easier to wave off. When I disagreed with the statement, it was interpreted as female solidarity and not taken seriously.

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As a Latino student, I’ve experienced both microaggressions and microaffirmations in everyday situations at school. Sometimes, people make assumptions about me like expecting me to struggle with English or asking where I’m “really from” even if they don’t mean any harm. These small comments can make me feel out of place or like I don’t fully belong. On the other hand, I’ve also had teachers and classmates who make an effort to include me, respect my background, and value my ideas. For example, when someone takes the time to pronounce my name correctly or shows interest in my culture, it makes a big difference. From my perspective, microaggressions can be discouraging over time, but microaffirmations help me feel more confident, respected, and comfortable being myself in class.

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As a Puerto Rican woman, I have experienced microaggressions in a few ways. One way that often leaves me feeling confused about who I am and where I belong is the question, "Where are you from?" which most of the time goes fine, people just say okay, but I did have a few times where people asked me if I was sure. Which felt super uncomfortable to me. I know my features make it hard to tell where I'm from exactly, but I don't really enjoy hearing people promise me that I'm certainly mixed with indian or some type of indigenous.

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A microaggression that I thought of was, "All of Gen Z is lazy". I am a member of this generation, and I do believe that this is an over generalization and it causes harm. Looking for a job seems extra hard because employers seem to have a preconception that we'll be lazy or unwilling to come a work. Rather than testing or giving a member of this generation a chance they may simply ignore just graduated individuals and aim for someone more experienced of the get go. Instead of referencing an entire generation about behaviors, it would be better to say that there is a noticeable difference between people of various ages rather than a particular group.

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As a white man I have not faced as many microaggressions as others. But one thing that sticks out to me is from coaching soccer this season. This is my second season coaching and before one of our games me and the other coach were talking briefly, and the conversation felt a bit off like and it kind of felt like that because I was a younger coach I the other coach wasn't taking it as seriously which kind of pissed me off. Ultimately it didn't really matter in the end because my team ended up winning the game by like five goals with plenty more opportunities that we should have scored on which kind of gave me the last laugh.

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As a woman, I have experienced microaggressions about my gender all my life. In school, some jobs I've worked, and sometimes even my own family. Just times when I wasn't taken seriously or being told, "calm down", "youre overreacting," "are you on your period?" Little things like that seem small and kinda insignificant at the time, but add up, and they stick with you. A lot of the time with my family, they can do it without realizing but sometimes it is on purpose just to be "funny". Like, just recently, I went to a family event without my boyfriend because he had other plans. I got jokes that he just needed some time away from the "nagging girlfriend" and that he probably doesn't actually have real plans. Again, just things like that that are little jokes at the time to get a quick laugh, but I started to see a pattern of it over time.

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I am a white, middle aged man and this is a reflection not an equivalence. I have, on occasion, found my self in conversation amongst women that have come from abusive relationships. When women describe abusive men and speak of men in general, I've sometimes felt lumped in with "Men" even though I have not behaved that way. That sting is the closest analog I've experienced that comes close to helping me imagine, imperfectly, what it must be like to face routine assumptions or dismissals because of identity.

I do not claim my experience matches the scale or harm of what marginalized people endure, but what it has done is open a door to compassion, understanding, and empathy and make me more attentive to how casual talk and shorthand can erase individuality.

With respect to micro-affirmations, I've been in leadership positions since graduating university in the military and civilian worlds. I know it has a name now, but I've intuitively used micro-affirmations throughout my career to recognize effort and excellence in the small things because I've found that they end up delivering results and have large impacts on macro outcomes.

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I feel like being a woman it's more often than not you can see examples of micro aggression. For myself, it's happened a bunch at work when having to lift buckets of silverware. It's heavy, yes, but I can absolutely do it no problem. The boys think it's helpful when they swoop in and do it for me and the other girls. It's a nice gesture and I'm sure none of them are doing it in a malicious way, but can be rude. It can get noticeable too when the smaller females deal with that more than larger females. Another example I have seen is definitely the race stereotype and assumptions in sports.

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Working at a high school where there is a strong majority culture, I have experienced moments where students assume that all Hispanic cultures are the same. As someone from Puerto Rico, I’ve noticed that students often group all Spanish-speaking cultures together without realizing the differences between them. For example, there have been times when students use certain Spanish words or slang assuming they have the same meaning everywhere, when in reality, those words can mean something completely different in Puerto Rico compared to other countries like Mexico or Cuba. In some cases, the meaning can even be inappropriate or offensive depending on the context. While students usually do not intend harm, these assumptions feel like a microaggression because they erase the diversity within Hispanic cultures and overlook important cultural differences.

On the other hand, I have also seen microaffirmations in the classroom. There was a moment when I was able to explain to students how language and culture vary across different Hispanic communities. Instead of dismissing it, students showed curiosity and asked questions about Puerto Rican culture and how it differs from others. That interaction felt like a microaffirmation because it created space for my identity to be recognized and respected. It also helped students become more aware that culture is not one-size-fits-all.

This experience has taught me that even small assumptions can impact how included someone feels. At the same time, small efforts to learn and acknowledge differences can create a more respectful and inclusive environment. As an educator, I think it’s important to continue having these conversations so students understand and appreciate the diversity within Hispanic cultures.

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An example of microaggression I've experienced is when people consistently pronounce my name in an Americanized way rather than the Spanish way my family uses it. Even though my name has no cultural significance, it still feels like a part of who I am is being changed to make things easier for other people. It can feel like people aren’t putting in the effort to say it the way it’s meant to be said. Another example is people constantly asking if they can touch my hair since they've never seen someone with my same hair type.

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One way I’ve experienced something similar to microaggressions is through my career path. I became an executive chef without ever going to culinary school, and that’s something I’ve always been proud of. But at the same time, I’ve had people make small comments that kind of question my ability or legitimacy because of it. Things like, “So you never went to school for this?” or “That’s surprising for an executive chef.” They might not mean anything negative by it, but it can still come off like they’re doubting how I got to where I am.

To me, that connects to the idea of microaggressions because it’s not something super obvious or aggressive, but it still sends a message. It feels like people assume there’s only one correct path to success, and if you didn’t follow it, then something must be missing. Over time, those kinds of comments can get frustrating because they make you feel like you have to prove yourself more than others. It also made me realize how important it is to be aware of what we say to people, even if we think it’s harmless. Small comments can still have an impact depending on someone’s experience.

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As a woman, I have experienced many microaggressions, especially as a woman in a male-dominated major. In high school, I took a couple of shop classes, one being welding, and I would always get comments from male students saying how they were shocked I did a good job. Even now, as an Industrial Design major, I get people telling me that they are surprised I am any good at it or that I could make things on my own. I have also had experience with fixing my car, where men think that I need help and they step in to help me, but I was doing it just fine on my own.

-Charlotte

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A microaggression I've encountered personally is people making assumptions about my identity, ethnicity, and views, and speaking to these assumptions as if they're truths. Because of my Jewish identity, people have just assumed I am Zionist without inquiring about my views, and I've had people question my ethnic background due to my height and some of my features. People often make assumptions about my identity and just roll with them without ever asking. A (not so) microaggression I've witnessed especially in the younger generations having worked at a high school is many non-Black people saying the n word casually. Their Black peers "don't always seem to mind", but I worry we can't assume that without personally inquiring 1 on 1 with each of their friends instead of taking silence as a green light. They defend it either by saying their friends don't mind or by saying that "they've been through the same things" so it justifies the use of the term that was historically used and created to oppress and dehumanize Black people. I'm all for solidarity but I don't believe anyone will find that through the shared usage of targeted racial slurs, at least not sustainably, in my opinon.

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This is an ongoing post from quite a few semesters of people so you can see patterns of experience over time.

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In college I had a friend who I inadvertently made microagrressions towards, and it wasn't until I had done it so many times that she spoke up that I realized what I had done. My friend and co-worker had a boyfriend who worked at subway and I constantly made jokes about how he wouldn't be able to provide for her working at Subway. This seems very obvious now but at the time I really didn't see harm in my comments. This microaggression continued for far longer than I would like to admit but I think it's worth sharing, people make cheap comments all the time when walking through life but if we stopped and thought about what we are saying we might realize the damage of the words. The interaction taught me to think before I speak and to not make assumptions about peoples lives or needs.

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I have experienced several microaggressions as a woman. I have often times been dismissed in conversations, whether it's being interrupted or having to repeat what I said because I was being ignored. It is always a subtle sort of dismissal, that often isn't intentional, but is still hurtful.

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I think similar to some other people on here a common experience I had with microaggressions was in high school. I went to a predominantly white school in a privileged area, so some of the people were actually making consistent racist or hurtful comments with bad intention, but others were just uneducated. A common expression I would hear is "I have black friends, I'm not racist" or a comment similar to that one. I think that this is a comment that not everyone realizes is a microaggression and that needs to change because it disregards certain negative behaviors that need to be addressed. Another experience I would say I've frequently witnessed is how people would say Merry Christmas when it was the last day of school before break. Even some of my teachers would say this not really even taking into consideration that some people may not celebrate the same holidays. Now this was unintentional but is still a microaggression and could hurt someone or make them feel like an outsider.

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One of the most common mircoaggressions I have heard pretty much majority of my life, especially with attending a predominatly white school, is "I'm not racist, my best friend is Black." I really never understood why people felt the need to express that they have a Black friend which means there's no way they can be racist. To me, it minimizes the experiences that Black people face from racism.

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I have had some people use microaggressions towards me and I feel like it is something that happens pretty often. I used to be a receptionist at a hotel, so I would meet people from all over all the time. I remember one day an older man was extremely rude to me for about five minutes straight, and I had fine customer service but after all of that I was no longer smiling or happy. He then said, "you should smile more". I am a blonde woman, and I look younger than I actually am. People will act like I am dumb or are shocked when I say something smart, I think that is the most common one that I get. I'm not entirely sure that this one count, but I want to share anyway. During the pandemic I was dating a guy that is older than me. We were at a liquor store together and the man at the counter asked him if I was old enough and didn't acknowledge me directly or even ask for my ID.

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I would say that I had not noticed microaggresions until this module had pointed it out to me. A lot of times people ask me how I learned English so well. Though I understand they may not mean harm that comment can feel a little backhanded. My first language was English, I grew up learning in school just like other kids so they comment can make me feel singled out. I do believe that it is important to see the intent of someone when they speak. Though the goal is to get rid of the subconcious racism, some people sincerely do not mean harm and just want to learn more and do not know how to go about it. I believe in supporting people who want to learn about other cultures, even if that means helping them relearn hurtful ways.

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I would say I generally haven't noticed microaggressions towards myself, but after reading up on what they are and when they happen I feel more educated on when I have seen them. Some have been, when a Black classmate was told they were very articulate after a presentation, this sounds like a compliment, but it implies some kind of shock that they were so well spoken or intelligent. Another one I have seen is when someone asks an Asian student for help in a class, they may not even know them, but because Asians are often associated as being intelligent, they went to them versus someone else of the same intelligence level. Another common one I seen/done is asking a girl to do a writing section for a project, because they generally have better handwriting, though this may seem like a compliment, it can show that they are not smart enough for the knowledge section, and that they are only good enough to write it down, which looking back at it now, makes sense. Having learned more about microaggressions, I feel I am more aware of what occurs around me, and what can be seen as harmful, all without a foul intent or even understanding its an issue.

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This course on advancing social justice and education equality is a microaffirmation, it makes historically marginalized people be seen and supported. Other microaffirmation experiences I am thankful to have experienced were in my church community and because of those who trully believe in Jesus' teachings. In church I have experienced acceptance and love through genuine interest in my well being as well as being treated equal to other humans in our church community. I am not concerned about things I would be outside of the church building. An American pastor with experience in a predominately Mexican American neighborhood learned to love all equally and I am thankfull for his work, influence and leadership.

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“Microaggression is a term used to describe remarks or actions that imply negative association and insults toward an individual or a group. These are often directed at members of historically marginalized groups” (WTCSystem, 2020, 0:32). Additionally, microaggressions can be subtle and occur despite our best intentions and are usually directed towards members of historically marginalized groups. Learning this and more about microaggressions it’s clear to see I have not only experienced microaggressions but also have participated in such actions unknowingly. As part of experiencing microaggressions, I often would be told I can’t pronounce your name so I’ll just call you “d”, “dar”, “dardar” or worse like “dairy” or  “diarrhea”. When first hearing this it sucked, but I accepted this name because I did not know better however now that I know better it sucks and is not okay.  Or people only wanted to call me “d” or other names but they also assumed my identity is only Latino or white when I’m actually Hawaiian, Russian, Chinese and mixed with much more cultures that are smaller percentages,  but because I look white or talk Mexican they think that’s my identity when it is not. To add on, I have participated in such actions unknowingly. I have often asked my classmates of color if I could touch their hair/play with it. I thought because I was asking it was “okay” but in reality it is not. I am not African American and when people asked me to touch my hair I was “grossed out" and wanted to say no but didn’t because I did not want to be rude. If this is how I felt I could only imagine how my classmates felt when I asked, especially because I’m a “friend” and not a "stranger". If anything a friend should not only understand but respect their classmates/friends wishes by not asking or even touching. I was in middle school so I technically did not know better and my classmates always said yes but I could tell they were annoyed and wanted to say no but couldn’t and wouldn’t but I didn’t fully understand back then. Now, that I’ m learning about such things and understand how they felt I’m not only saddened but very grossed out that I would do such things to not only my classmates but also people I would consider “friends”. But when thinking about it, these “friends” were the ones encouraging “dairy” and “diarrhea” or would laugh when such names were called out for me. While this is both a lose lose situation I wonder if maybe this is why I felt okay to ask and do such things because I knew something similar was happening to me or was going to happen to me. And the sad thing is these teachers allowed it but maybe that’s because my teachers were mostly Chinese or Mexican and did not understand English well. Either way now that I’m older such experiences are not okay for both my peers and myself. I’m hoping current students do not go though such things and if they do they know to stand up for themselves because I didn’t. And while I wish I did know how to stand up for myself in the present day, I know past me would never confront such problems and because of such experiences I am who I am today. I am proud of who I am and would never want to change that, but I do wonder if such experiences never happened to me how would I be? Or if I would even be the same person? As sad as it is, these experiences made me who I am and made me even more appreciative of different cultures, unique names and religions because at the end of the day these differences are what make us who we are, which is so beautiful and unique to me. I hope soon people realize that these differences shouldn’t be looked down upon but instead should be praised.

Reference: WTCSystem. (2020, May 26). Understanding Microaggressions. YouTube. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e4N50b76cZc

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I personally haven’t experienced what would be considered microaggressions, and to be honest, I’m somewhat skeptical about the concept as it’s often discussed. While I understand that some people genuinely feel hurt by subtle comments or behaviors, I think intent should play a larger role in how we interpret these situations. In most cases, I believe people don’t mean to offend — they’re simply expressing themselves or speaking from their own experiences.

For me, communication and context matter more than labeling certain interactions as microaggressions. People come from different backgrounds, and sometimes misunderstandings happen without any harmful intent. I think it’s better to focus on open dialogue and assume good intentions rather than immediately viewing comments through a negative lens.

That said, I do see the value in being aware of how our words and actions might affect others. Even if I don’t fully agree with the concept of microaggressions, I believe it’s important to practice respect, empathy, and understanding in how we communicate. At the end of the day, I think giving each other grace and focusing on honest, respectful discussion helps create a more genuine kind of inclusivity.