Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions
I
really have to say that it is very upsetting to see and experience microaggression
and it can really hurt a person’s feelings.
A couple of weeks ago one of my colleagues and I took a quick detour
after lunch and stopped at Dicks Sporting Goods during lunch time to purchase
for my son a couple items for his baseball game that night. We were in a bit of a hurry since we had to
be back at work in one hour so we walked into the store walking directly to the
baseball gear area. A guy approached us
to ask if we needed help. I responded
that we knew what we needed and that we were in a bit of a hurry and thanked
him.
He
stepped away, but my friend noticed that he went to the register and got on the
phone and as he spoke to someone he was looking directly at us. Next thing we see is some guy dressed in
regular clothes playing along as he was looking for baseball gear as well
however every time we moved he would follow us and pretend he was looking at stuff
too. I got very upset and asked him if
he was following us. He was really
surprised and didn’t know what to respond.
He then said that he had gotten a call that perhaps some shoplifting was
going around that area. I was so mad
that I asked for the manager. The guy
got very defensive and wouldn’t call the manager. So, I walked to a register and asked for the
manager on duty. Well the manager seemed
to be so busy that he could not take the time to come and meet with me. I asked the clerk if I could get on the phone
with him and she told the manager that I wanted to speak to him. I went on to tell him how I have been a
customer of theirs for over 15 years. I
also told him that I did not appreciate how the clerk had called security and the security guard was
following us. Then he went on to tell me
that he apologized for the confusion but that lately several Hispanic men were
caught shop lifting at another Dicks Sporting store. I was beyond mad by this point because he
didn’t make us feel welcome by him mentioning that to me was beyond acceptable. Why would anyone generalize that just because
we are Hispanic we are all thief’s?
We left the store so upset and at
the same time filled with many emotions.
It made me think about what Dr. Sue said that racial microaggressions
could be intentional or unintentionally communicated. I can surely say that because we were seen as
Hispanic men we were labeled right away and to me that was done
intentionally. The way I experienced
this racial microaggression really affected my perception on how prejudices and
discrimination are very existing. I was
upset but more sadden to know that we are stereotyped and labeled.
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