How do you navigate microaggressions - those words and actions that offend or hurt, even though they may be unintended? Learn some of the obstacles of authentic conversations, as well as practical strategies for what to do or say when you are the target of, witness to, and agents of microaggressions.

1. UW Admissions Retreat
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Recognizing and Addressing
Microaggressions
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2. About Seattle Girls’ School
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3. Courageous Conversations
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4. Debunking Some Myths
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 All or None
 Mistakes
 Apologies
 “Tonsils” Theory
 Vulnerability

5. Growing Through Mistakes
William Taylor’s Reflective Competence Model
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6. What Are Microaggressions?
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Accumulated Impact
Regular, Frequent, and Pervasive
Based on Stereotype
Often Unintended

7.  Microassaults
– Explicit
– Conscious and Deliberate
– Backstage Spaces
 Microinsults
– Hidden
– Often Unknown or Unintended
– Frontstage Spaces
 Microinvalidation
Zooming In: Microaggressions
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8.  Alien in Own Land
 Ascription of Intelligence
 Colorblindness
 Criminality/Assumption of Criminal Status
 Denial of Individual Racism
 Myth of Meritocracy
 Pathologizing Cultural Values/Styles
 Second-Class Citizen
 Environmental
Microaggressions/Macroaggressions
Racial Microaggressions
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9. Small Group Discussion
 Read Packet
 Discuss Questions
 Return by
 Share Out
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10. Navigating Microaggressions
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11. Learning Through Mistakes
William Taylor’s Reflective Competence Model
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12. Speaking From the Heart
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13. What We’re Thinking and Feeling
When Receiving the Microaggression
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Did that really
happen? Do they
realize? I want to
trust, but I’ve had
this happen so
many times before.
I am so stressed,
confused, hurt….

14. What We End Up Saying
When Receiving the Microaggression
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
That was so
offensive!
I can’t believe
you did that!

15. Be A DEAR….
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16. Self Advocacy Through Microaggressions
 Affirm the person or relationship
 Describe the behavior without judgment
 Explain the emotion/impact and your filters
 Assume positive intent
 Request or suggest different behavior
*** Key Points: timing, I statements, actions not
adjectives, inside feelings not outside feelings***
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

17. Self Advocacy Through Ouch Moments:
An Example
I think you and I both agree we all have a
right to be respected and heard in this
community. When we were disagreeing
about budgets, you said “You’re being
overdramatic,” and later, you called me a
“drama queen.” Statements like this make it
sound like I am being too emotional and
that my concerns are drama rather than real
issues. I am assuming you don’t intend to
police my tone or dismiss my concerns. I
would appreciate your not saying things
like this anymore. Thank you.
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18. Being A Witness
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19. What We’re Thinking and Feeling
When Witnessing Microaggressions
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I can’t believe this
is happening.
That’s SO not
right. Should I
say something?
Am I butting in?
Would it help?
I am so upset!

20. What We End Up Saying
When Witnessing Microaggressions
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21. What Others Hear When We Say Nothing
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See? They
agree with me!
I am so right
about this.
No one sees or
understands. I
am alone.

22. They were born
innocent…
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23. NCBI Effective
Interventions Model
 Reduce Defensiveness
– Tone
– Body Language
– Respect
 Keep the Conversation Going
– Hear Them Out
– Ask Open-Ended Questions
– Set Aside Your Feeling for the Moment
– Dialogue
 Build the Relationship
 Stop the Behavior
 Win an Ally
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

24. Say Something to Somebody
 Now or Later (or Say It Now About a Later)
 Target, Agent, Fellow Bystanders, Authority Figures
“In the End, we will remember not the words of
our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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25. Intervening in Microaggressions: Examples
 Ask open ended questions
– “He looked suspicious”
– “How did he look? How was he acting? Why was that suspicious?”
 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.”
– “I’m sick of my taxes paying for freeloaders”
– “Tell me more about about that.”
 Use exaggerated humor to highlight what’s going on
(use sparingly)
– “What do gay people think about this issue?”
– “I’m not sure – I’ll go ask. It may take me a while, since there are so many gay people.”
 Join the person and do not make yourself superior
– “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’ or ‘affirmative action’
reasons rather than that she earned it.”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

26. Listening to the Real Message
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27. What Was Said During the Intervention
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Those words or
actions are
hurtful to me.
Please stop.

28. What We Hear During the Intervention
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You are a
bad, bad
person, and I
hate you!

29. What We Should Hear
During the Intervention
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You are basically a good
and decent person. As
with all of us, you’ve
made a mistake, and you
may not know how that
mistake is impacting
others. I am going to
give you the gift of
perspective and
information so that your
intentions and impacts
match up.

30. It’s a gift…
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

31. When You’re Told About
Microaggressive Impact You Created
 Listen with full attention
 Don’t try to defend or respond right away
– Take deep breaths
– Acknowledge your feelings
 Your mistakes don’t define you
– Be worthy of their trust and gift
 Prioritize the Impact over Intent
– Apologize for real
*** Moving through these moments with grace is
called shame resilience. It’s a vital skill***
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

32. When You’re Told About
Microaggressive Impact You Created:
Examples
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
 “I really appreciate your telling me this.”
 “I’m so embarrassed that I did that.”
 “I’m very sorry my words and actions made you
feel that way.”
 “I’m pretty overwhelmed right now, and I don’t
want to respond in a way I’d regret. Do you think
you can help me come up with a better way to
handle that situation after I take a few minutes?”
 “I wanted to go back to a moment I don’t think I
handled very well… Can we talk?”

33. Small Group Discussion
 Discuss Tools
 Return by
 Share Out
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34. Final Words of Advice:
Recognize Your Triggers
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35. Find Your Bucket People
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36. Practice Makes
Less Freeze-Ups
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37. If You Messed Up and You Know It,
Don’t Wait for the Intervention –
Just Apologize
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38. If You’re Really Sorry,
Work to Improve
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39. Build Authentic Relationships
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40. Inclusive Communities
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41. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

42. Final Questions or Comments?
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43. Resources
• Anti-Defamation League
• Brené Brown
• Cross Cultural Connections
(www.CulturesConnecting.com)
• National Coalition Building Institute
• The People’s Institute
• Stirfry Seminars
• Teaching Tolerance
• The Thiagi Group
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44. Break
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