The Power of Language: Addressing Racist Terminology and Microaggression

  Racism is sadly everywhere. More often than not, we don’t even realize it is there because we get used to it. The normalization of micrcoaggressions and racist comments is not okay. However, in order to try to erase them, we need to know what they are and how we can find them.

What are microaggressions?

Microaggressions can be deliberate or accidental, and occasionally they can even be well-intentioned. However, they send the recipient unfriendly, disparaging, or unfavorable racial messages or presumptions (Smith, 2023).

Racism is one of the most divisive forces in our society, racial legacies of the past continue to haunt current policies and practices that create unfair disparities between minority and majority groups, racial inequities are so deeply ingrained in American society that they are nearly invisible, and most white Peruvians are unaware of the advantages they enjoy in this society and of how their attitudes and actions unintentionally discriminate against people of our different provinces.  

Some examples of racial microaggressions are:

• Assume that indigenous people are "ignorant" or "unpresentable".

• Treating people as samples or objects.

• Assume that people of color are less intelligent or capable than white Peruvians or Mestizos.

• Criticizing the cultural values or traditions, such as communication, behavior, and clothing.

Experts define three types of microaggressions:

• Micro attacks

• Insults

• Microinvalidations

For these reasons, this post focuses primarily on the power of language and how we can address racist terminology and microaggressions in our society. 

Are there racist comments in our life?

Racist comments are phrases or insults based on prejudices and stereotypes to marginalize a specific ethnic group or person. This happens because sometimes someone feels superior to others and wants to segregate them socially. Currently, in Peru, cases of racism occur very often, because its society is very diverse but hasn’t learned to appreciate its differences.

For example, the most well-known and typical racist phrases that are often used in the country are "cholo" or "serrano". They are used to describe people from the Andes or from an ethnic group or community in the mountains. However, they are often used in a derogatory way.

             Not every type of linguistic discrimination is intentional; many people who think they’re being inclusive don’t understand that their inherent biases are pushing them to make judgements they don’t even know they’re making. Yet no matter what’s driving these kinds of incidents, people making racist comments about others are still bad even if you don’t know, but how we can change that? If we don’t know about but see is bad, we have to do something about and get educated and change it, is not late to create an equal society and live in peace. 

The Impact of racist language on Individuals and Communities

Racist terminology has a negative impact on both the victims of racism and those who use it. In the first place, people who are affected by racism can feel inferior or marginalized compared to the rest. The normalization of a language that spreads hate can lower their self-esteem as well. Conversely, people who make these types of comments feel superior to someone or even an entire community. In both cases, it can be seen how racism generates inequality and division in society, by separating groups of different races in two, as if one were better than the other. In other words, it generates separation, inequality, and hatred in a society that should work to promote and build social equality.

What do we need to do?

As a result, we need to work on stopping microaggressions, deconstructing racist comments in our daily life, and promoting a more-inclusive language. The reason why we say this is because, if we don’t identify when we are marginalizing people, even if it is unintentionally, we won’t be able to move forward as a society. The fact that a discriminatory comment or action is subtle or not intended doesn’t make it less hurtful. A lack of self-awareness is not an excuse to spread hate. Reflecting on what we do on a daily basis may seem like a simple step but it is the first one to take if we want to break the cycle of racist ideas. For instance, by doing so, we can realize that many jokes in Spanish are not unharmful for they denigrate people. A few examples include insulting people from the Andes by comparing them to llamas and comparing black people to monkeys. Disguising racism as humor is not okay.

In conclusion, our language has more power than we often care to admit. Words can make a deep cut that leaves a scar in the victims’ life. Considering that what we say can have an influence on our belief system and even hurt others, we should take responsibility for our ways of expressing ourselves. After all, reflecting on what we say can make a big difference when combating racism. In a country with a rich multicultural heritage like Peru, this should be talked about more often.

References

Smith, A. (2023, April 27). What to know about microaggressions. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/microagressions