The Visibility Mindset

7Addressing Microaggressions

Bernice Chao

As a society, we can't hide from the future; we have to build and own it.

—Andrew Yang, American businessman and political candidate

When I was in college, I went to the local Humane Society to adopt a kitten. While I was signing the paperwork, I was asked by the director of the shelter, “What will happen to the animal when you return to your home country?” I was so taken aback because it was such a strange question when all I had ever known was America. This is my country, and I don't know life as a non‐American. This shelter worker basically made the snap judgment, based on my visual appearance alone, that I was a foreigner. Presuming this shelter worker was simply looking out for what was best for the animal, she most likely didn't realize what she said was off‐putting, but this is a real‐life example of how microaggressions can have a strong impact on the victim of the microaggression. More than a quarter of Americans have experienced a microaggression at work and 36 percent have witnessed one.¹

This chapter will teach you how to recognize when microaggressions occur, show you step‐by‐step ways to handle the situation, and give you resources that you can share with co‐workers and corporations so that they can become supportive allies. You will leave this chapter with the proper tools to educate and shift perceptions in the workplace, ultimately making a better work environment for all to enjoy.

Defining Microaggression

Let's ...