Examples Of Microaggressions

People often refer to the United States as a cultural ‘melting pot-’ they believe the mix of cultures to be indistinguishable in the grand scheme of things, but that is simply not true. It’s something akin to a salad bowl- a sum of all of its parts, its unique and distinctive parts; the good, the bad; the ugly, and the beautiful. The ‘melting pot’ mindset, or the assimilationist mindset, to put it accurately, is damaging to the many, many cultures present in America today. This often leads to groups of people feeling un-American or out of place, like they are fraudulent on a fundamental level. What makes people American is not that they live in America, but that they live in America despite their circumstances. They may experience socioeconomic …show more content…
This often comes in the form of microaggressions- phrases or statements directed at certain aspects of ethnic minorities used to dehumanize them or to affirm stereotypes. Some examples of microaggressions are “your hair looks so much better when it’s straightened,” or “there’s only one race: the human race,” or “I don’t see color,” or “you speak such good English;” they’re not direct attacks but rather ‘innocuous’ blanket statements that demean a person or group of people. Another example of discrimination in the workplace is hair discrimination. Black women in particular have been denied jobs due to their hair. The main argument for textured hair not being in the workplace is that it is “unprofessional” or “unsightly,” but it’s just different; it is certainly not a means of firing someone. America has a tendency to promote Eurocentric beauty standards, which favor straight and wavy hair over curly and coily hair. The problem is especially pronounced when people wear protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles include plaits (braids), dreadlocks, cornrows, twists, and bantu knots. These styles are meant to keep the hair and the scalp healthy and to promote good hair growth. But some people cannot seem to grasp that wearing a protective hairstyle or even wearing natural hair does not make somebody a ‘hoodlum,’ as some people like to say. Outside of the regular 9-to-5 workplace, there is hair discrimination in schools, with some schools banning natural hair or protective hairstyles to allow for a more ‘uniform’ look. It demeans young minds and builds a sense of inferiority, that if compartmentalized and kept for long periods of time, can ruin their ability to function in society with any

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