As Within, So Without

Microaggressions are typically defined as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color” (Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008). These acts are usually dismissed as subtle slights or minor misunderstandings, when they’re actually expressions of deep-rooted prejudice. Studies show that there are three types of microaggressions: microassaults, microinvalidations, and microinsults.

These categories will be sorted from the most to least overt actions: Microassaults are more easily recognized as the more blatant forms of discrimination. This is when the aggressor hurts the intended victim through verbal or nonverbal attacks. An example of a microassault is a person telling a racist remark then saying, “I was just joking.”