Whether in the street, in the office or in the media, racist remarks are legion, sometimes in insidious forms. Small sentences to never let go, because they have serious consequences for those concerned.
"What I call ordinary racism, these are all these little phrases that are marked with prejudices that we hear on a daily basis, but against which we have no legal recourse and which in my opinion constitute micro-attacks. ", Rokhaya Diallo writes in his book Me, racist? Never ! Scenes of ordinary racism, in collaboration with researcher Virginie Sassoon. The author, journalist and director exposes here on a reality experienced on a daily basis by people of color, and which has very serious consequences.
Micro-aggressions, maxi-impact
But where do micro-attacks come from? First of all, you should know that the stereotype is essential for life in society: it allows us to understand the complex world around us and to develop the feeling of belonging to a group, by imitating its modes of operation. The problem is when, from stereotyping, we slide towards prejudice, that is, when we consider that a group is inferior to our own and that we essentialize its representatives (that is, – to say that they are reduced to a single dimension of their being, like an accent, a skin color, a religion …).
Obviously, everyone works with stereotypes in mind, but it is essential to realize this and unravel them. Because micro-aggressions have an impact everything, except riquiqui on the mind. It was a psychiatrist, the Afro-American Chester M. Pierce, who coined the concept of micro-aggression in 1970, to describe the small attacks that white people inflict on black people. Then, in 2010, the US psychologist of Chinese origin Derald Wing Sue used the term to refer to "brief and daily exchanges sending a degrading message to certain individuals, because of their belonging to a group". That is to say people of color, LGBTQI +, women, the poor … In short, sociological minorities, who will undergo contemptuous mini-gestures and little squeaky phrases. In recent years, researchers have shown that the repetitive nature of micro-attacks eventually undermines self-image, sometimes leading to depression. Worse, according to a study published in 2013 by the University of Pittsburgh, microaggression is more dangerous than direct attack because it can easily be minimized or even ignored, leaving the victim in doubt as to the legitimacy. how she feels, and the reality around her.
Finally, we operate in societies where whiteness (the fact of being white) is presented as a factor of superiority, and it is therefore legitimate that they dominate. So to contribute as little as possible to systemic racism, here is a series of sentences to ban, or to deconstruct if someone around us utters it.
Read also: Sexism and racism: in business, the double penalty for racialized women
"I don't see the colors."
Such a practical sentence to delegitimize any racialized person who would expose the racism of society, or of his interlocutor.trice blanc.he …
"We are just one big family: humanity."
Except that some people are born more equal in rights than others, aren't they …
"Where are you from? No, but really!"
When are white people asked to provide their family tree?
"Can I touch your lioness mane?"
We do not ask and we DO NOT TOUCH.
"You are French ?"
And why not ask for the residence permit, while you're there?
"With a last name like that, you must have origins."
How much even that would be the case, what would it change?
"Hey, the Chinese!" (Or any other nationality)
Reminder # 1: Not all Asian people are of Chinese descent. Reminder n ° 2: to call a person like this is just racism and xenophobia.
"You've got the rhythm in your skin."
Ah, the good old neo-colonialist cliché of the black and / or North African person who spends his life dancing naked to the rhythm of the drums …
"Fadwa, what's the couscous recipe?"
Loving the gastronomy of a country is yes. To reduce a person to a dish is no.
"Go back to your country !"
Full facho mode activated.
When music from another culture is played: "But that's your home!"
As with cooking, let's avoid objectifying people, thank you.