Department of Psychology, University of Georgia.
Perspect Psychol Sci. 2021 Sep;16(5):903-925. doi: 10.1177/17456916211002543.
The consequences of racial microaggressions are most often discussed at an interpersonal level. In this article, we contend that microaggressions play an important role in maintaining systems of racial oppression beyond the interpersonal context. Specifically, we illustrate how microaggressions establish White superiority in the United States by othering people of color (e.g., treating people of color as if they are not true citizens) and communicating that they are inferior (e.g., environmental exclusions and attacks, treating people of color as second-class citizens). We also present evidence that microaggressions play a role in protecting and reinforcing systemic racism. By obscuring systemic racism (e.g., false color blindness, denial of individual racism) and promoting ideas that maintain existing systemic inequalities (e.g., the myth of meritocracy, reverse-racism hostility), microaggressions provide cover and support for established systems of oppression. Overall, we find considerable evidence-from both empirical studies and real-world examples-that microaggressions contribute to the maintenance of systems of racial oppression in the United States. We conclude with a discussion of how we might begin to challenge this cycle by increasing awareness of systemic racism and the microaggressions that aid in its perpetuation.
种族微侵犯的后果通常在人际层面上讨论。在本文中，我们认为微侵犯在超越人际背景的情况下，对维持种族压迫制度起着重要作用。具体来说，我们通过将有色人种他者化（例如，将有色人种视为非真正公民）并传达他们低人一等（例如，环境排斥和攻击，将有色人种视为二等公民）来说明微侵犯如何在美国确立白人至上地位。我们还提供了证据表明微侵犯在保护和加强系统性种族主义方面发挥了作用。通过掩盖系统性种族主义（例如，虚假的色盲、否认个人种族主义）和宣传维护现有系统性不平等的思想（例如，精英主义的神话、反种族主义敌意），微侵犯为既定的压迫制度提供了掩护和支持。总的来说，我们从实证研究和现实例子中找到了大量证据，表明微侵犯有助于维持美国的种族压迫制度。最后，我们讨论了如何通过提高对系统性种族主义和助长其延续的微侵犯的认识来挑战这一循环。
