In a generation of people who are developing into a group of progressive and open minded individuals, the presence of racism among us may be something difficult to fathom. The vast majority of teenagers and young adults would never think of themselves as racist. They would never see their actions and associate them with bigotry. Most of them have friends of different races and ethnicities, enjoy Chipotle and Rap music, and don’t hold explicitly hateful beliefs. But no matter how liberal and open minded you think yourself to be, most of us at some point have been guilty of unintentional racism; some individuals more frequently than others. Racism exists on a broad spectrum, it’s not always as explicit as vandalizing a mosque, burning crosses on the lawns of black families, or drawing swastikas in bathroom stalls.

Racism is multifaceted and complex, it can be overt or covert, and it can be intentional or unintentional. Because explicit racism for the most part, is no longer socially acceptable, it has now taken a more covert form.  Racist actions, speech, and beliefs are still present in the social atmosphere, and continue to do harm; unintentional racism has replaced blatant bigotry, but is still equally damaging. The problem is that unintentional racism is ignored, disregarded, and delegitimized, while simultaneously harming those on the receiving end.

Microaggressions are a form of unintended discrimination - something commonly experienced by people of color in their day to day lives. They are often comments made towards an individual with an underlying racist message. According to the Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology Institute, “students of color reported experiencing an average of 291 microaggressions in the past 90 days.” Racial microaggressions are the subtle and everyday insults, back handed comments and hurtful messages sent to people of color by well-intentioned White people who are unaware of how damaging the messages being communicated are. But these daily microaggressions perpetuate racial tensions, even in an alleged “post racial” era.

Microaggressions can be committed not through words, and also actions. Hurtful comments can be made to an individual such as “Wow, you’re pretty for a Black girl”, “It’s a good thing you’re not a dark skinned Indian” or “You have such a Jew nose.” These are examples of microaggressions my peers and I have experienced. Nonverbal microaggressions can include a confederate flag being worn on a t-shirt, or the sound of car doors being locked as I walk in the upper middle class neighborhood that I live in. Psychologists suggest that these biases and prejudices are harbored subconsciously, and are often revealed in social interactions.

Microaggressions tend to be something individuals experience and don’t respond to, but that does not mean they aren’t damaging. Although microaggressions can make us feel marginalized, we bite our tongues and don’t speak up, in fear of being seen as overreacting or victimizing ourselves. In the cases when I have addressed microaggressions, people are usually very dismissive and have even become defensive. We affected individuals ignore them in that moment they are committed, but they linger with us; they make us doubt ourselves, and internalize hatred for our racial identity. Microaggressions are harmful because of their invisibility. People of color remain silent victims to this form of unintentional racism.

The racism that exists today is not as blatant and recognizable as it was in the past, but that doesn’t mean it ceases to have a harmful impact. It’s invisibility allows it to creep into our lives like a thief in the night, stealing our dignity and pride in ourselves. I am well aware that unintentional racists are not conscious of their wrongs, and that's where the dilemma lays. Subtle acts of racism frequently impact the lives of people of color, more so than any hate crime ever will. I have never woken up to see a cross burning on my front lawn, but I have experienced thousands of microaggressions in my life.

Studies support the fact that people of color frequently experience microaggressions, “that it is a continuing reality in their day-to-day interactions in academic, social and public settings. They are often made to feel excluded, untrustworthy, second-class citizens, and abnormal” (S. Derald Wing, Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life). Unintentional racism is a burden people of color no longer wish to carry. So to the unintentional racists of my generation, please try to understand the impact of your words and actions. Unlearning problematic behavior is an active part of being a decent human being. As young adults and teenagers, we have a lifetime of interactions ahead of us to learn and grow to be more conscious in every atmosphere.