EPIP Webinar - Microaggressions' Effect on You: Set Your Healing and Self Care Toolbox with Lupita Gonzalez, MS, CPC January 20, 2016 How many microaggressions are you exposed to monthly? Weekly? Daily? If only we could avoid them all together! We live in an oppressive society that conditions our biases that perpetrate this behavior. Over time, we experience accumulated microaggressions as trauma. Most of us have been at the receiving end, and sometimes in the giving end. Learn how the brain receives microaggressions, and the effects they take on us. Identify your very own, new coping mechanisms that can heal and shield you.

1. MICROAGRESSIONS’ EFFECT ON YOU &
SELF CARE TOOLBOX
EPIP Webinar
January 20, 2016
EPIP Host: Biz Ghormley
Presenters: Lupita González

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7. Speaker
Lupita González, MS, CPC

8. MICROAGGRESSIONS’
EFFECT ON YOU
Set Your Healing and Self Care Toolbox
© Lupita González

9. © Lupita González

10. Lupita’s 3 Main Specialties
1.
EQUITY &
INCLUSION
Inclusion
Auditing
Board
Diversification
Anti
Oppression
Training
Equitable
Internal
Systems
Multicultural
Coaching
2.
LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT
EXECUTIVE
COACHING
TEAM
EFFECTIVENESS
BOARD
DEVELOPMENT
TALENT
DEVELOPMENT
3
ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Organizational
Assessment
Strategic
Planning
Change
Management
Succession
Planning
© Lupita González

11. Setting the Context
© Lupita González

12. Who’s on the Call?
Identity & Intersectionality
! Social Identities regarding:
" Race
" Gender
" Ethnicity
" Sexual Orientation
" Gender Identity
" Ability
" Age
" Religion
© Lupita González

13. Overview
! Defining Microaggression
! The State of Microaggressions in the U.S.
! The Effects of Microaggressions
! Tools to Heal and Shield
! Microaggression Interventions
! Q&A
© Lupita González

14. History of “Microaggression,” the Term
! Insults and dismissals by non African Americans toward African Americans
1970, Harvard University Professor Chester Pierce
! Similar insults directed at women
1973, MIT Economist Mary Rowe
! Casual degradation of any socially marginalized group
present day
! “The new face of racism”
! 2007, Sue, Bucceri, Lin, Nadal, and Torino (social scientists)
Sources:
Derald Wing Sue (2010). Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Wiley.pp xvi
Sue, D., et al. (2007). Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice. American
Psychologist, 62(4) 271-286. © Lupita González

15. Microaggressions
© Lupita González

16. Microaggressions Explained
Position the dominant culture as normal and the other
group as not.
© Lupita González

17. Three Kinds of Microaggressions
! Microassault – verbal attack, name calling, avoidant
behavior or purposeful discriminatory actions
! Microinsult – an unconscious insult demeaning a
marginalized person’s heritage or identity
! Microinvalidation – communications that exclude,
negate, or nullify a marginalized person’s thoughts,
feelings or experiential reality
© Lupita González

18. Microassault Examples
“Oh, Mami, I’d like to tap that!”
Being followed by a harasser
for blocks, and blocks.
“You’re a f**king lesbian?!
What a damn shame, bi**ch!”
*Explicit, conscious and
deliberate
© Lupita González

19. Three Kinds of Microaggressions
# Microassault – verbal attack, name calling, avoidant
behavior or purposeful discriminatory actions
! Microinsult – an unconscious insult demeaning a
marginalized person’s heritage or identity
! Microinvalidation – communications that exclude,
negate, or nullify a marginalized person’s thoughts,
feelings or experiential reality
© Lupita González

20. Microinsults
Microinsults are commonly subtle, ambiguous, and
are presented as compliments.
Don’t FEEL like compliments at all.
“Sometimes I think I’m making things up!” – Juan, on
experiencing microaggressions
© Lupita González

21. Microinsults Examples
“You’re Mexican?!
But you seem so… educated and American!”
“You’re Mexican?!
But you don’t look Mexican! You’re beautiful!”
© Lupita González

22. Three Kinds of Microaggressions
# Microassault – verbal attack, name calling, avoidant
behavior or purposeful discriminatory actions
# Microinsult – an unconscious insult demeaning a
marginalized person’s heritage or identity
! Microinvalidation – communications that exclude,
negate, or nullify a marginalized person’s thoughts,
feelings or experiential reality
© Lupita González

23. Microinvalidations Examples
Situations when you are in a board room, and your comments
go unheard.
When colleagues of dominant culture take your ideas, work or
IP, and get all the credit.
“Nice to meet you. What’s your name?” he said.
“Lupita,” I said.
He said, “Oh. (pause) How bout I just call you Libby?”
© Lupita González

24. Three Kinds of Microaggressions
# Microassault – verbal attack, name calling, avoidant
behavior or purposeful discriminatory actions
# Microinsult – an unconscious insult demeaning a
marginalized person’s heritage or identity
# Microinvalidation – communications that exclude,
negate, or nullify a marginalized person’s thoughts,
feelings or experiential reality
© Lupita González

25. “Microaggressable” themes:
! Sexual objectification
! Dehumanization
! Second-class citizenship
! Racist and/or Sexist language
! Assumptions of inferiority
! Denial of sexism and/or racism
! Traditional gender role assumptions or racial stereotypes
! Social invisibility
! Denial of individual sexism and/or racism
! Sexist and/or racist jokes
© Lupita González

26. Identity & Intersectionality
! Social Identities regarding:
" Race
" Gender
" Ethnicity
" Sexual Orientation
" Gender Identity
" Ability
" Age
" Religion
*The more marginalized groups you identify with or are a part of is proportional to number
and kinds of microaggressions for which you’ll be targeted.
© Lupita González

27. Microaggressions in the Media
“When we’re talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of
the film, not in the casting of the show.”
– Matt Damon speaking over Effie Brown, Project Greenlight
“Who gave this guy his green card!”
– Sean Penn awarding González Iñárritu, 2015 Oscars
“The first mainstream African-American who is articulate and
bright and clean and a nice looking guy.”
– Joe Biden of Barack Obama, 2008 presidential elections
© Lupita González

28. Overview
# Defining Microaggression
! The State of Microaggressions in the U.S.
! The Effects of Microaggressions
! Tools to Heal and Shield
! Microaggression Interventions
! Q&A
© Lupita González

29. The State of Microaggressions
in the U.S.
Number of People Counted in the Last U.S. Census: 322,851,770
Avg of 10 microaggressions monthly = 3,228,517,700
0
500,000,000
1,000,000,000
1,500,000,000
2,000,000,000
2,500,000,000
3,000,000,000
3,500,000,000
January
People
Microaggressions
© Lupita González

30. Overview
# Defining Microaggression
# Microaggressions in the U.S.
! The Effects of Microaggressions
! Tools to Heal and Shield
! Microaggression Interventions
! Q&A
© Lupita González

31. Effects of Microaggressions on the
Recipient
! Immediate Effect
" Anger
" Frustration
" Exhaustion
Source: Sue, D., Capodilupo, C.M., & Holder, A.M.B. (2008) Racial microaggressions in the life
experience of black Americans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39, 329-336.
© Lupita González

32. Social Pain & Physical Pain
Source: Eisenberger et al, 2003, Science; Eisenberger et al., 2004© Lupita González

33. Social Pain & Physical Pain
© Lupita González

34. What is the Cost of Microaggressions
to the Giver?
© Lupita González

35. Effects of Microaggressions on the
Recipient
! Cumulative Effect
" Diminished Self Confidence
" Poor Self Image
" Depression
" Anxiety
" Trauma
Source: Sue, D., Capodilupo, C.M., & Holder, A.M.B. (2008) Racial microaggressions in the life
experience of black Americans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39, 329-336.© Lupita González

36. The State of Microaggressions in the U.S. a.k.a
Estimate of Trauma Production by MAs, U.S.
Number of People Counted in the Last U.S. Census: 322,851,770
Avg of 10 microaggressions monthly = 3,228,517,700
0
500,000,000
1,000,000,000
1,500,000,000
2,000,000,000
2,500,000,000
3,000,000,000
3,500,000,000
January
People
Microaggressions
© Lupita González

37. Overview
# Defining Microaggression
# The State of Microaggressions in the U.S.
# The Effects of Microaggressions
! Tools to Heal and Shield
! Microaggression Interventions
! Q&A
© Lupita González

38. Tools to Heal and Shield Self – Step 1
Acknowledge that the microaggression happened!
Trust your intuition. If you feel uncomfortable or hurt.
You’re uncomfortable. You’re hurt.
Trust Your Body Intelligence.
You’re not crazy or making things up! ☺
© Lupita González

39. Tools to Heal and Shield Self – Step 2
“You Are Powerful.
It is not what happens to you but what you do with it.”
Obstacles … Creativity
Suffering … Empathy
Setbacks … Wisdom
Trauma … Post Traumatic Growth
Source: Norman Rosenthal, Gifts of Adversity.© Lupita González

40. Tools to Heal and Shield Self - Step 3
! Preserve Your Spirit
" Reach Out for Help, Vent, Tell a Friend.
" Express Yourself!
" Indulge in Fun
" Journal
! Preserve Your Mind
" Meditate
" Learn New Things
" Find and Practice Your Flow!
! Preserve Your Body
" Strengthen Your Circadian Rhythms, Get Sleep!
" Regular Healthy Meals
" Exercise
© Lupita González

41. Preserve Your Spirit
© Lupita González

42. Tools to Heal and Shield Self - Step 3
! Preserve Your Spirit
" Reach Out for Help, Vent, or Tell a Friend.
" Express Yourself!
" Indulge in Fun
" Journal
! Preserve Your Mind
" Meditate
" Learn New Things
" Find and Practice Your Flow!
! Preserve Your Body
" Strengthen Your Circadian Rhythms, Get Sleep!
" Regular Healthy Meals
" Exercise
© Lupita González

43. Preserve Your Mind
© Lupita González

44. Tools to Heal and Shield Self - Step 3
! Preserve Your Spirit
" Reach Out for Help, Vent, or Tell a Friend.
" Express Yourself!
" Indulge in Fun
" Journal
! Preserve Your Mind
" Meditate
" Learn New Things
" Find and Practice Your Flow!
! Preserve Your Body
" Strengthen Your Circadian Rhythms, Get Sleep!
" Regular Healthy Meals
" Exercise
© Lupita González

45. Preserve Your Body
© Lupita González

46. What Activities Go in Your Self Heal
and Shield Tookbox?
© Lupita González

47. Overview
# Defining Microaggression
# The State of Microaggressions in the U.S.
# The Effects of Microaggressions
# Tools to Heal and Shield
! Microaggression Interventions
! Q&A
© Lupita González

48. Microaggression Interventions
! Ask Open Ended Questions
" He’s acting like a sissy.
" How’s he acting? And why is that sissy?
! Find out the Experience Motivating the Comment
" Why can’t they just speak English around here?
" It must be hard not to understand what people are saying around you.
! Use Exaggerated Humor to Highlight What’s Going on
" That movie is so gay!
" That movie is attracted to other movies? I didn’t know that was possible!
! Join the Person
" She got that award because she’s black and female.
" You know, I hear that a lot. I’ve been trying to figure out why we seem
to think when a black woman gets recognized it must be because of
diversity stuff rather than that she earned it.
Source: Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http;://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
© Lupita González

49. Lupita’s Preferred MAs Interventions
! MicroAssaults
" Stay calm and Report to Highest Ups!
" Form Your Team of Allies
" Start a Movement!
! MicroInsults
" Call It Out. Name it.
! MicroInvalidations
" Do it in a manner in which they can’t ignore you.
© Lupita González

50. When You Are Told That You Said or
Delivered a Microaggression
! I really appreciate you telling me this. I’m really sorry.
! I’m so embarrassed and sorry that I did that.
! I’m so sorry. I’m going to take some time and reflect on this.
! Man, that was pretty insensitive and stupid of me. I’m so
sorry.
! My bad. I’m making a note in my head not to think or behave
like this cuz it’s uncool.
© Lupita González

51. Tool for Allies and Upstanders! - Insula
© Lupita González

52. Questions
© Lupita González

53. Ck these out:
! Websites:
! The Microaggressions Project
! Tool for Recognizing Microaggressions, Definitions
! Books:
! Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation by Dr.
Derald Wing Sue
! Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
! Videos:
! Brene Brown on Empathy
! How to Tell Someone They Sound Racist by Jay Smooth
! Articles:
! The Neuroscience of Social Pain, Psychology Today
! Can Meditation Make Someone More Compassionate? Psychology Today
© Lupita González

54. Call to Action
© Lupita González

55. MICROAGGRESSIONS’
EFFECT ON YOU
Set Your Healing and Self Care Toolbox
© Lupita González