Practicing Awareness of Microaggression

The instance of racial microaggression I experienced occurred while visiting with a friend on a Florida military base.  Our friends hosted a cookout and invited a few members of his unit and their spouses.  One young sailor brought along his new wife and his parents who were in town for a visit.   Later that evening the conversation turn to of all things produce and the great options for fresh produce in Florida.  The young wife of the sailor shared, “yea the “spics” should be coming soon to start the picking.”  It was pin drop quiet as everyone nervously looked around.  Her in-laws turned red as one guest asked, “Who?”  The girl responded, “The spics they pick the fruits and vegetables.”  There were three other couples at the gathering.  The same guest asked, “What was your name?” She provided her name with a smile.  The guest then reintroduced himself as David Rivera, and pointed to my husband and I and said, “That’s the Rodriguez.”  The girl smiled and waved clearly unaware she had used a racial slur to refer to the migrant workers that would soon come into town.  This word was just a part of her reality.  The in-laws looked mortified.  I will never know if they were unset because she would used such a derogatory word or because she had use it in a social gathering with strangers and outside of the family.

Granted, this incident took place several years ago it is still shocking that a young person with all of the modern forms of communication and ability to interact with others would not know she was being offensive. This experience illustrated just how pervasive and imbedded racial language is in our culture.  In order to have meaningful change we must all experience an awakening.