“I have strong medicine, you see”: Strategic responses to racial microaggressions.

Abstract

In this qualitative study, the authors examined responses to racial microaggressions among community members in Montreal, Canada. To this end, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA; Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) we conducted individual interviews with Black Canadian (n ϭ 5) and Indigenous (n ϭ 5) community members who pursued employment directly after secondary education. Seven themes emerged from the data (e.g., calling out perpetrators, empowering self and others, choosing to not engage, and using humor). Response strategies convey 4 primary features: (a) importance of social support in accessing resources and confronting racial microaggressions, (b) use of culturally grounded strategies as a form of resistance, (c) multifaceted use of humor to confront and to minimize racial microaggressions, and (d) intentional use of avoidance among women participants. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Public Significance StatementThis study, set in Canada, is the first to examine responses to racial microaggressions among community members who did not pursue postsecondary education and who were not affiliated with academia. Findings suggest working class community members used dynamic interpersonal responses, and underscore the role of social resources, cultural values and macrointervention in dismantling racial microaggressions.

Fear of COVID-19, Mindfulness, Humor, and Hopelessness: A Multiple Mediation Analysis

“…Furthermore, humor may be considered as an important identity protection mechanism. For instance, it has been reported that laughter is an important coping strategy for dealing with stressful situations such as racial micro-aggression (Houshmand et al 2019). In a recent study conducted during the pandemic, humor was found to be associated with psychological wellbeing among individuals with a chronic illness and disability (Umucu and Lee 2020).…”

Reviewing Racial Microaggressions Research: Documenting Targets’ Experiences, Harmful Sequelae, and Resistance Strategies

“…Across a range of studies, self-protective coping takes several forms. Targets have engaged intentionally in self-care activities to relieve tension and to self-soothe from the pain of racial microaggressions (Carter & Davila, 2017;DeCuir-Gunby et al, 2020;Houshmand et al, 2019). General self-care strategies in the literature have involved choosing a positive outlook (Houshmand et al, 2019), conserving one's time and energy (Davis, 2019), picking and choosing one's battles (Lewis et al, 2013), managing stereotypes (McGee, 2016), setting and maintaining boundaries between work and home life (DeCuir-Gunby et al, 2020), and individual reflection and processing of the event (Griffith et al, 2019).…”

“…Likewise, among early-career professional Black men ( n = 12), participants used Black peers as sources of emotional support, validation, and camaraderie, whereas older Black professionals served as supportive allies and mentors who provided encouragement and advice (Pitcan et al, 2018). Among Black and Indigenous individuals ( n = 10) in Canada, Houshmand et al (2019) found that participants turned to others for advocacy, research, and emotional support. In an observational study among 52 triads of Black women ranging from 18 to 89 years of age, Davis (2019) identified an empathic and validating communication style that she denoted “collective uplift” (p. 147).…”

“…For example, a Black faculty member reported reading biographies of prominent African Americans who overcame adversity to instill pride and remind himself that he, too, can overcome insults and slights from White people (DeCuir-Gunby et al, 2020). In a study among Canadian participants, a Black man reported that he wrote and performed songs supporting human rights for his people, and Indigenous participants recounted efforts to relearn their languages to feel pride in their identities (Houshmand et al, 2019). Some targets of racial microaggressions relied on organized religion and other forms of spirituality for protection and self-care.…”

Dynamics of a three species ratio-dependent food chain model with intra-specific competition within the top predator

“…Despite, awareness of the Rock against Racism movement (14, 21); disgust at the National Front's appropriation of the Union flag; and campaigning against apartheid (21) (Fuller, 2017a), I failed to call out persistent racist name-calling (age withheld) (Fuller, 2017a). I misinterpreted the response of laughter (Houshmand et al, 2019) constructing it as acceptance or indifference. This repeated in the workplace (age withheld) when one workmate called another her "sun-kissed friend;" once more I was silent (DiAngelo, 2018).…”