Microaggression

Microaggressions are everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults that communicate hostile, negative, or prejudicial messages to people based on their marginalized group membership. They are often brief and may be unintentional, but their cumulative effect can be harmful, contributing to stress, lower self-esteem, and reduced sense of belonging.

The term was first used by psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce in the 1970s to describe subtle racist comments toward Black people in the United States. In the late 1990s and 2000s, Derald Wing Sue and colleagues expanded the concept to cover a wider range of identities and contexts, proposing a framework that includes microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations.

Microassaults are explicit, overt, or deliberate derogation, such as hate speech or exclusion. Microinsults are subtle insults that communicate negative messages about a person’s race, gender, or other identity, often conveyed unconsciously. Microinvalidations deny or minimize the experiences of members of marginalized groups, such as asserting that colorblindness erases discrimination or telling someone they are "too sensitive."

Research highlights that microaggressions can contribute to chronic stress and mental health concerns, especially with repeated exposure. Critics note challenges in defining and measuring microaggressions, and emphasize the role of context, intent, and power dynamics. Proponents argue that recognizing microaggressions can inform education, bias training, and policies aimed at reducing discrimination, while avoiding overpathologizing ordinary disagreements.