Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

     Just recently I was visiting a classroom of young Hispanic preschool children.  When I entered the room one of the little boys yelled out, hola chunga!  I first responded hola, but for some reason I knew something was not right by the way all the other children and teachers looked at me. After the puzzled look on all the children and teachers in the room, I asked hey, what did he say?  The teacher whispered in my ear he said hi monkey. I was in total shock.  This little three year old child had just called me a monkey and all the other children were looking at me with their mouths wide open.

     The teachers did not address what he said but ignored it like an embarrassed parent.  After another child attempting to say hola chunga, the teachers and I were able to pull ourselves out of shock and tell the children my name and ask them their names as well assuring them I was not a monkey.

I told my sister-in –law about this incident, she told me that I should have put my hands under my armpits and started jumping around towards that kid like a monkey. Of course I did not think that fast.

     This type of micro-aggression sounds like micro-assault and it was, however it was unconscious.  His behavior was something learned from a parent.  It was interesting when I saw the parents of this child I automatically thought badly of the parents.  It kind of made me think or wonder what migrant families think of black people.  In observation of experiences this week, it has been my personal experience that the media and things that happen to you may cause you to stereo type and think ill of people.