I was in the grocery store waiting
in line to be served. I noticed the cashier acknowledge the person that was in
front of me with a warming hello and smile and asked her if she found everything
she needed and then asked her if she needed any assistance with her bag. The cashier then proceeded to ring up my items
without stating hello or acknowledging my presence or asking me if I found
everything I needed. She stated my total and I then elected to pay with cash.
She gave an interesting facial expression when I asked for her to me a receipt.
I explained to her that I need a receipt because I was purchasing items for my
child care center as I was the Center Director. Her body language changed and
she smiled. I told her to have a bless day and she then looks at me pleasantly surprised
and stated thank you and then told me to have a great day. I believe that
I was a target of invisible microaggression. The cashier didn’t even take the
time to acknowledge me or greet me or extend the same curiosity to me as she
did the previous customers that were from the dominate race. I partially find that
her actions were unintentional because she appeared to be oblivious to the fact
that she had treated me different from all the other customers she had served
in front of me. I believe that discrimination
is very much present in my area of the world it is just expressed in a less direct
manner. I often believe the terms discrimination and prejudice still remain and
are very much present in our society because of fear, the fear of being
powerless, the fear of change, the fear of being uprooted, the fear of feeling invisible
and feeling uncomfortable. It is never right to be prejudice, discriminatory or
stereotypical, but I find that those are the reasons why many dominate individuals
are.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYour post is so passionately composed. I could feel the pain in the tone of your voice. It is really unfortunate that the practice of racism yet exists in several parts of the world. My understanding from the readings this week makes me see the complexity in hidden biases. Those of us who have the privilege to work with young children must brace up to the task and take others along with us in this practice.
Thanks for sharing!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your post and the description of the event at the grocery store I could feel your pain. It is amazing to me that people can treat others in this manner and not even realize that they are discriminating. As we work with children we have the responsibility to self reflect and bring to our awareness this concept of micro-aggressions so that the children won't have to feel the same pain.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI can personally identify with your experience. Not once, but mutltiple times. I have actually observed that type of microaggression within cultures. I have witnessed African-American clerks giving members of the dominant group preferential treatment. I guess they have internalized racial oppression and believe that whites are entitled to better treatment. You handled yourself very well. I have to admit I am not always that tactful in dealing with situtations like that. However, I wonder sometimes if it is even worth the fight.
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand your story as things like that happen to me all the time. I had a similar situation happen to me today. It is disheartening that in light of the diversity in this country that some people are still ignorant about how to treat others. This country is made up of so many different people with unique cultures and characteristics that is interesting every time I have the opportunity to learn something new about a someone else.
Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI find I am often in this situation.
It's not only a racial bias... I have noticed that the women who wear makeup and have their hair styled get treated much better by cashiers than someone who does not wear makeup and wears their hair flat- like me.
It has also happened at the doctor. I was treated one way when the doctor assumed I had medicare. When I corrected him and told him I had private insurance, he was completely different. He started smiling and became very accommodating.
Chastity
This was not invisible microaggression, it was downright rude and very deliberate. Thank you for being better then this women by telling her to have a great day.
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteYou stated some interesting facts here and I understand how you feel about your encounter at the store. I too have had something similar happen to me when I was in a store looking for a coat for my grandchildren. The two workers were conversing with each other and never once acknowledged that I was in the store. I proceeded to ask them where the coats were and all they said was, they are in the back. I looked around and then decided to leave the store and as I was leaving I stated to them that it's obvious they would prefer that I spend my money elsewhere and left. To this day, I have never been back in that store and would prefer to not do business with them again.