Racism can be defined as “bias against an individual or a group of individuals based on the individual’s or group members’ race/ethnicity (Gruman et al., 2017). Racism has been an issue for humans for as long as we can remember. Even though we are making positive steps towards eliminating this issue, many people still hold racist beliefs, even if they don’t see it themselves. Prejudice and discrimination are key aspects to racism. Prejudice is “an attitude toward others based solely on group membership” whereas discrimination is “actual behavior directed at others on the basis of category membership” (Gruman et al., 2017). Prejudice and discrimination keep racism alive, so it is important that we work to eliminate these issues.
Racism is not only overt actions such as segregation, it can come through in other forms. Other less well known forms of racism include aversive, symbolic, and ambivalent racism. Aversive racism happens when someone is racist, but does not believe they are because it is inconsistent with their other views. Symbolic racism happens when someone believes they have nothing against another race, but they reject ideas and policies related to equality. For example, symbolic racism can show up when someone does not dislike Black individuals, but does not support affirmative action policies. Lastly, ambivalent racism happens when individuals hold two contradicting views. An example could be when someone is not prejudiced, but also believes that everyone has equal opportunities for success based on how hard they work. Not all racism can be clear or overt, some forms are much harder to notice.
Next I would like to speak about microaggressions towards minority groups. But first, what are microaggressions? Microaggressions can be defined as “a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority)” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Even though microaggressions are not as blatant and aggressive as other forms of racism, these comments can have impacts on minority groups’ mentality and happiness. In a study by Derald Wing Sue et al., racial microaggressions were examined that related to the Asian American experience. This study used a qualitative method to identify microaggressions, explore the various forms they take, examine the impact on individuals, and determine coping methods. Results showed that there were eight major themes directed towards Asian Americans. These themes included; (a.) alien in own land, (b.) ascription of intelligence, (c.) exoticization of Asian women, (d.) invalidation of inter-ethnic differences, (e.) denial of racial reality, (f.) pathologizing cultural values/communication styles, (g.) second class citizenship, and (h.) invisibility. (Sue et al., 2009)
As we can see from the study above, even if someone does not realize they are being racist, the targeted group can be seriously affected. We have made many steps towards eliminating racism, but we still have a long road ahead of us. Hopefully research on new forms of racism can shed light on these issues and with the help of applied social psychology, form interventions to eliminate racism as a whole.
References:
Gruman, J.A., Schneider, F.W. & Coutts, L.M. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks; CA: Sage Publications.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Microaggression. In Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved September 27, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microaggression
Sue, D.W., Bucceri, J., Lin, I. A., Nadal, K. L. & Torino, G. C. (2009). Racial Microaggressions and the Asian American Experience. Asian American Journal of Psychology, S(1), 88-101. DOI: 10.1037/1948-1985.S.1.88