Microagressions (By Ms. Jay)

I remember recently experiencing some unintentional forms of Microagression relating to “brief everyday psychological dilemmas associated with the class of racial realities as well as perceived minimal harm of unintentional, invisible nature of microagressions” (Laureate Education, Inc.2011).  Last Saturday July 14, 2012 I participated in a “Craft Show” A craft show is an event in which people set up tables with merchandise they make by hand and sell to customers. (I don’t make any crafts with my hands but I sell purses as an independent consultant for an at home business.) Some familiar at home businesses you may know about are (Mary Kay and Avon)

Living in North Dakota, in a small city, where the population is about 800 people. The people all around me looked white. I arrived early setting up my table /booth full of my wonderful products and as I looked around and smiled at other vendors and they didn’t smile back I began to feel uncomfortable. Not only did I get a vibe that these people were not friendly but as I looked around again, I noticed I was the only “dark” person there. (I’m part African American and part Asian) I have no problems working with diverse people (My home town Las Vegas Nevada where people from all over the world live work and learn.)

 Internally, I felt in order to make my business grow I have to “get my name out there” so to speak and sell my bags.  I proceeded to set up my booth quietly and calmly. I enjoy selling my bags to co-workers and friends because I know my relationship with them is based on my positive attitude, character and friendly nature as a person. They also relate and know me as part of the military community. I associate well with the military community and I’m very comfortable sharing information about my business with them. I stood there along with other women around me selling their products and realized how the other booths proceeded to stare at me. I realized only two women that were setting up their booths were kind and showed interested in my products.   I looked around some more and recognized a military member also a parent (her child attended our before and after school program) selling her products. I went over and talked to her and became comfortable because we related to each other as part of the military community.  I stood next to her and talked to her a majority of the time before the craft show began. 

During the show, I kindly greeted every customer approaching my booth but still felt like an outcast I watched and observe people walk by my booth without even acknowledging I was there. I also felt other vendors were greeting customers around me (getting their attention before I could even greet them and sold their products to them.) I know I was not the only purse vendor at the show and felt like we were in competition. I decided to be friendly and make the best of my day while being there and got up to walk around and see what products other vendors had. I love purses anyway and decided to try and make conversations with these two young women vendors also selling purses by asking them how long they have sold purses and how much some of them were.  I was not pleased with their service and tone with me. They talked in a mono tone voice and were very assertive in talking about their products. I felt like they wanted me to step away from their booth.

For six hours I watched people walk by my booth, and tell me they had their own purse consultant they buy from, purchase other merchandise from other vendor’s booths, then walk out.  Earlier in the day one person came up to my booth and said “Good Luck!” I kindly smiled and said “Thank you” but internally I was feeling out of place and wasn’t getting much business anyway.  Out of the entire day I only received 3 orders. I told myself it was better than no orders at all.

It’s not fun being the target of micro aggressions even though the comments and gestures were not intentionally meant to harm me or was it? Later, I called my friend and co-worker (I will call her Ms. Tammy) who is also African American and has her own independent business (6 years) selling wickless candles and told her about my first craft show. She said, “You know I’m proud of you, it’s not easy being of minority and selling products up here.” She said, “I know you probably wanted to pack up your stuff and leave but I’m proud that you stood your ground and didn’t let those people push you out.”   

Overall, with the knowledge of microagressions from this course plus reflecting back on this experience helped me learn that some people are unaware of differences within people and may not know how to react to them. (Those who seem like strangers)  My other conclusion leads me to believe people are aware of differences between other people but are “stuck” to their views until at some point in their lives; they experience a form of microagression or speak to someone who is not afraid of addressing the issue directly.

Here is a picture of my booth.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). [Video web cast]: Microaggressions in Everyday Life In Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1341778_1%26url%3D