Race-Related Microaggressions Commonly Heard in Professional Settings

The term "microaggression" is very misleading. This phrase gives the impression that things said that fall under this category are small, insignificant, and uninfluential. However, this is not the case, particularly when we're forced to hear these things over and over in our day-to-day lives. Read the following list of microaggressions that people of color commonly hear in professional settings, and think about how it would feel to hear these phrases on a regular basis...

This is too hard for you...

Let me do it for you...

You won't be able to figure it out...

You ask too many questions...

You don't have the background to understand...

You're only here because you're a minority...

You only got hired because they had a quota to fill...

You guys take positions from more qualified candidates...

We don't have time for anti-racism classes...

We shouldn't have to take mentoring classes to learn how to work with underrepresented students...

People of color shouldn't be so angry--things are getting better...

You couldn't understand...

I just don't feel safe with those kinds of people (when referring to a race of people)...

You're one of the good ones...

You're so articulate...

I wasn't talking about you, but those other people...

They sound so uneducated--why don't they just learn to speak English? AND/OR People will think you're uneducated if you talk/dress like that...

Why do people of color keep complaining; it's not like they don't have rights...

Why should this be our problem?

This is making me uncomfortable (in response to personal stories of race-related incidents)...

I've never had to learn about people of other races before, so I don't think I should have to now...

You just can't handle the real world...

You're too sensitive...

You're not strong enough...

You should quit now...

You're not cut out for this...

It's not like you have it that bad...

Maybe you're taking it wrong...

I don't think that's racist--maybe you're just misunderstanding...

That's too hard to pronounce...

If I was you, I would just (in response to personal stories of race-related incidents)...

That's too ethnic...

I don't see many people of color in my day-to-day life because there's no culture here (particularly when said to a person of color)...

Racism isn't a problem anymore...

If you think racism is a problem then let's talk about how much worse sexism is...

I don't see color...