I’m not sure why but it took me a while to think about my own privilege. As an immigrant, my privilege is the access I have to a “better” educational system as well as job security. Very often the civilians in my country would leave to make a better living. I have mostly experienced microaggression at work. I remember when my coworker told me that I was not Black. She was convinced that because I was Jamaican, I could not be Black or both. (She was an in her late 60’s and Asian) She was really the sweetest and kindest woman I’ve ever met. I also knew that there wasn’t any negative prejudicial intent behind it just ignorance (she wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt me), so I didn’t take it personally. I was aware that she has preconceived biases/judgments on what Black looked or act like and I was also aware that she did not put in that category based on how she perceived me.
Another situation was when a classmate/”friend” of mine told me to claim that I was white because of how I spoke. I quickly realized that I needed new friends, and also being Black and articulate or educated was somewhat of a taboo to other people with different communities. Many people have already settled on what a Black person is supposed to act, speak, and look like. I understood that other racial groups have bought into the way the media have painted us and to the majority, Black folks like me were an anomaly. I can use my access to education and job security to give back to my communities all over the diasporic world. I truly believe in the value of education, and not trust the educational system but knowledge and awareness.
I sincerely do not know if I am capable to reduce or prevent microaggression. There’s an old saying that goes, “You can lead a horse to the water but you cannot force them to drink it”-unknown. I don’t believe it is up to me, it’s up to the one to self-evaluate themselves to first ask why do they do it, where does it stem from and how can I do better. I believe in order to do better a person must first want to better and become knowledgeable, aware, cautious, and considerate.
Hey Nyoka, I feel the same way. You said it perfectly, being an immigrant puts me at privilege of obtaining better education. I additionally understand how confusing it can be to manage these microaggressions. To add on to what you said, yes we can educate others but whether they get enlightened and acknowledge what you are saying is a personal choice.