Students of color reported an average of 291 microaggressions in the last 90 days at universities nationwide, according to a study by scientific journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology.
Microaggressions are typically unintentional actions or statements that discriminate against a certain group of people.
Graduate student Jonathan Fan said he remembered being in an English literature class and being one of three Chinese students in the course. He said he felt isolated. He remembers other students saying that they did not want to work on a group project with Chinese students because they did not know English.
“It made us feel uncomfortable in our class,” Fan said. “The three Chinese students did not just want to be in a group together. We wanted to learn from the American students and work with them. Why do students only want to work with people of their own race? This world is so globalized that we have to work together regardless of race or background.”
Fan was one student who shared his experience with microaggressions as an undergraduate at another Big Ten Conference university at this year's first African American and African Diaspora Studies Brown Bag Lecture on microaggressions in the classroom.
Professors Joan Middendorf and Candis Smith and graduate student Katrina Overby organized the event. Smith said the event was put on to teach students and staff how to address and handle microaggressions in the classroom.
“Microaggressions make students feel less than they are,” Middendorf said. “When these things happen, it lessens the classroom ethical standards and raises student aggression. It is something that takes your attention away from learning. Like girls in predominately male STEM classes who feel nervous to speak up or fear being looked down on, it makes students say, ‘Can’t I just be a student in the classroom?’”
Attendees were given a handout that had examples of microaggressions and ways that students and faculty could address them. Smith, Middendorf and Overby acted out different situations and then had the groups talk about how they would react.
After going through the scenarios, both the attendees and event holders said they learned from the event.
“I appreciated learning new approaches about these events and how to handle them,” one student said. “After having conversations with people earlier and then coming to this event, it really made me wake up and realize that these words can be so hurtful.”
Smith said that she felt that the event was a success and is excited for the other Brown Bag lectures that will be happening every month. Although Smith is hoping for one in October, the next scheduled Brown Bag lecture will be Nov. 15.
