Subtle racism

Subtle racism—also known as covert racism, casual racism, everyday racism, and racial microaggressions—refers to the understated ways in which people experience racial prejudice on a daily basis. In the United States, White people are often responsible for perpetuating subtle racism against people of color, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants of color. Whereas overt racism might include people actively discriminating against minorities, subtle racism includes smaller actions, such as ignoring people of color or making assumptions about people of certain races.

Background

Subtle, everyday racism as a social concept began to take shape in the 1980s. It is a complicated idea because it does not focus on the behavior of overt racists who might use racial slurs or belong to known hate groups. Instead, subtle racism focuses on the racist behaviors that are considered socially acceptable by many within the majority (White people in the United States). The subtle racism that the majority group inflicts on minority groups on a daily basis can have a lasting effect on how people of color feel about themselves and how society perceives them. Harmful racial stereotypes are often perpetuated through microaggressions, which are subtle insults against marginalized people. For instance, as the Black author Luvvie Ajayi points out in an article on casual racism, White people will often “compliment” Black authors or speakers by telling them how “well-spoken” or “articulate” they are, indicating that the White person is surprised that a Black person could be intelligent.

While such actions might seem small, their tremendous impact is backed up by psychological evidence. In the 1990s, Claude Steele and Joshua Aronson conducted studies at Stanford University on stereotype threat, which is a situation in which a person is at risk of conforming to a negative stereotype about the social group to which he or she belongs. In the study, Steele and Aronson showed that Black students’ achievement rates on standardized tests were lower in instances in which they were first exposed to negative stereotypes about Black people’s intelligence. In cases in which the Black students were not first exposed to the negative stereotype, they performed just as well or better than the White students in the study did.

Subtle racism and microaggressions often involve quite a bit of uncertainty. This is because people who engage in these forms of casual racism may outwardly espouse ideas of equality. They may also be unaware that they are even being racist. This type of subtle racism is sometimes referred to as aversive racism. People who engage in aversive racism often support the idea of equal rights but have internalized, unconscious negative feelings about people in minority groups. Aversive racists will not always display racist behaviors. Their racism is often situational, meaning they will sometimes discriminate (whether consciously or unconsciously) against people of color and sometimes they will not. Aversive racists may also attempt to avoid interacting with people of color when possible. When not possible, they will experience feelings of discomfort and try to disengage from the interaction as quickly as possible.

Subtle racism and microaggressions are not always obvious to both the person who is being racist or to the victim. Derald Wing Sue, a psychology professor at Columbia University, published a paper in 2007 breaking down microaggressions in an effort to understand how they affect people of color. Sue argues that there are three types of racial microaggressions. The first are microassaults, which involve conscious and intentional behavior designed to discriminate against minorities. This form of microaggression is obvious to the victim. The other two forms—microinsults and microinvalidations—are much harder to recognize as racist behavior. Microinsults involve subtle verbal and nonverbal communications that demean a person based on his or her race. For example, a White college student might ask a Black college student how she got into the school, implying that the Black student was admitted based on something other than merit. Microinvalidations are communications that exclude people of color and/or invalidate their experiences. An example would be asking a Latino American where he is originally from, insinuating that he is not truly an American. These experiences can be quite distressing to the victim because he or she may feel uncertain how to respond to these less obvious forms of racism.

Overview

Experts believe that subtle racism is not just about people of color being insulted or having their feelings hurt. Subtle racism can have lasting effects on the health of these individuals, leading to higher rates of stress, anxiety, and depression. A 2014 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine even suggests that racial discrimination can cause young people of color to age faster and experience health problems normally seen in much older individuals. Some experts point to the fact that Black people may experience heart disease and stroke much earlier in life than White people do as evidence of this cellular aging.

While some people suggest that people of color should call out White people who engage in subtle racism, others believe that White people must be the ones to recognize internalized racism and acknowledge the racial stereotypes and beliefs they hold. Instead of dismissing allegations of racism, experts say that White people must listen when their racist behavior is called out. Experts also argue that White people must acknowledge the unique privileges they enjoy. Because of this, they also have the power to consciously work to fight against subtle racism by being actively anti-racist. The first step in fighting against subtle racism involves White people confronting their own racist behaviors and prejudices.

For aversive racists, who support the idea of equality in theory but not always in practice, their belief that racism is a moral issue can be a motivator to get them to change. If they are presented with the idea that most everyone believes some racial stereotypes, then aversive racists may be more willing to acknowledge and confront their own racist tendencies. In addition, researchers have found that emphasizing common group identities among aversive racists and the groups they are prejudiced against (e.g., their kids go to the same school; they are members of the same organization; etc.) can alter aversive racists’ perceptions. This may help them in conquering their ideas of an “us vs. them” divide.

Bibliography

Ajayi, Luvvie. “Why We Need to Call Out Casual Racism.” TED, 8 Feb. 2018, ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-to-call-out-casual-racism/. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Dastagir, Alia E. “Microaggressions Don’t Just ‘Hurt Your Feelings.’” USA Today, 28 Feb. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/28/what-microaggressions-small-slights-serious-consequences/362754002/. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

DeAngelis, Tori. “Unmasking ‘Racial Micro Aggressions.’” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2009, vol. 40, no. 2, p. 42, www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/microaggression.aspx. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Dovidio, John F., and Samuel L. Gaertner. “Racism: Aversive.” Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, edited by Patrick L. Mason, 2nd ed., vol. 3, Macmillan Reference USA, 2013, pp. 423–26.

Kareem Nittle, Nadra. “Examples of Subtle Racism and the Problems It Poses.” ThoughtCo., 11 Jan. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/examples-of-subtle-racism-2834960. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kulke, Stephanie. "Guided Parent-Child Discussion Can Help Address Subtle Racism." Northwestern Now, 22 Feb. 2024, news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/02/study-finds-guided-parent-child-discussions-are-effective-at-addressing-subtle-racism/. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Limbong, Andrew. “Microaggressions are a Big Deal: How to Talk Them out and When to Walk Away.’” NPR, 9 June 2020, www.npr.org/2020/06/08/872371063/microaggressions-are-a-big-deal-how-to-talk-them-out-and-when-to-walk-away. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Moore, John Hartwell, editor. “Everyday Racism.” Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2008, pp. 447–49.

Nagayama Hall, Gordon C. “Thresholds for Racism.” Psychology Today, 20 Aug. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-in-the-intersection/201708/thresholds-racism. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.