1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:11,040 Alexandra Pelonia: Hello everyone. My name is Dr. Alexandra Polonia 2 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,150 and I am a post-doc from the health center. So 3 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:19,530 this presentation is about microaggression and how 4 00:00:19,530 --> 00:00:22,170 to respond to microaggressions specifically 5 00:00:22,170 --> 00:00:27,480 during this pandemic. So we will be covering what 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,960 is microaggression, types of microaggression, some 7 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,730 examples, and of course, discussing its impact. 8 00:00:33,740 --> 00:00:36,480 I think towards the end and we will be 9 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:39,840 talking about how there's an obvious increase of 10 00:00:40,260 --> 00:00:42,900 racism and make more aggressive behaviors towards 11 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:47,100 people of color during this pandemic. So we will 12 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:50,010 be talking about some tips that I hope will be 13 00:00:50,010 --> 00:00:52,050 helpful for everyone moving forward. 14 00:00:54,270 --> 00:00:59,790 So we can start. So microaggression is not 15 00:00:59,790 --> 00:01:03,150 necessarily a new term or a construct or like a 16 00:01:03,220 --> 00:01:06,540 buzzword that's just you know suddenly came about. 17 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:11,100 So microaggression is a term coined by Chester 18 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:15,210 Pierce in the 1970s when he was studying racism 19 00:01:15,210 --> 00:01:18,330 among African-Americans. The history of micro- 20 00:01:18,330 --> 00:01:20,870 aggression is really tied to the study and 21 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:26,010 exploration of racism. "Microaggression" gained popularity 22 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:30,330 years later when researchers such as Dr. Sue and 23 00:01:30,330 --> 00:01:34,050 Dr. Mittal elaborated on microaggression by 24 00:01:34,050 --> 00:01:37,530 examining the experiences of other minority or 25 00:01:37,530 --> 00:01:41,490 marginalized groups including their ethnicity, 26 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:46,730 sexual orientation, disability, etc. But what is 27 00:01:46,780 --> 00:01:50,510 microaggression? Microaggression is 28 00:01:50,510 --> 00:01:54,830 defined by Sue as daily verbal and non-verbal 29 00:01:54,830 --> 00:01:58,140 intentional or non-intentional 30 00:01:58,340 --> 00:02:02,060 messages, behaviors that are hostile and derogatory. 31 00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:05,360 Most often than not these messages strike at a 32 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,870 person's membership to a particular marginalized 33 00:02:08,870 --> 00:02:13,040 group. Microaggressions cut across all social 34 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,640 identities including race, ethnicity, religion, 35 00:02:16,670 --> 00:02:20,510 nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, 36 00:02:20,570 --> 00:02:24,380 gender expression, age, disability status, 37 00:02:24,410 --> 00:02:27,170 socioeconomic class, and other important social 38 00:02:27,170 --> 00:02:32,560 dimensions. Microaggressions 39 00:02:32,580 --> 00:02:35,450 share some elements with stereotypes you know like 40 00:02:35,450 --> 00:02:38,450 they work in every direction and they are mostly 41 00:02:38,450 --> 00:02:42,530 built on assumptions and over generalizations. They 42 00:02:42,530 --> 00:02:45,650 are rarely meant to offend other people. However, 43 00:02:46,010 --> 00:02:49,160 due to their very nature microaggressions often 44 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:53,570 do so. So comments regarding race or commonly 45 00:02:53,570 --> 00:02:56,960 called racism in society today are observable and 46 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:00,440 purposeful behaviors that attacks or discriminate 47 00:03:00,470 --> 00:03:03,920 against racial minorities. So just a couple 48 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:07,280 examples of what microaggression would look like. 49 00:03:07,610 --> 00:03:11,210 So statement such as 50 00:03:11,210 --> 00:03:13,870 questions about where, or "I really like 51 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,430 where are you from". "Oh you speak really good 52 00:03:16,430 --> 00:03:19,040 English for an immigrant." "Why haven't you found 53 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,100 a husband yet?" Or asking someone 54 00:03:22,100 --> 00:03:25,610 "Where do I get the drugs?" or whatnot. For other 55 00:03:25,610 --> 00:03:28,820 people it may seem like it's not a big deal or not 56 00:03:28,820 --> 00:03:32,960 problematic asking these questions or 57 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,560 saying these statements. However these questions 58 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,490 or statements perpetuate stereotypes and biases 59 00:03:40,490 --> 00:03:45,190 that we have towards other people. To further 60 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,250 explain or give you more ideas about 61 00:03:48,390 --> 00:03:51,860 microaggression, we're going to talk about the 62 00:03:51,860 --> 00:03:55,970 three types of microaggression studied by Dr. Sue. 63 00:03:59,370 --> 00:04:02,010 So we have three types of microaggression which 64 00:04:02,010 --> 00:04:06,040 are the micro-assaults, micro-insults, and micro- 65 00:04:06,180 --> 00:04:11,220 validations. So for micro-assaults, these are 66 00:04:11,220 --> 00:04:14,970 the biggest and the most explicitly violent type 67 00:04:14,970 --> 00:04:18,900 of microaggressions. So they're very obvious. 68 00:04:19,140 --> 00:04:22,380 They're usually deliberate and done on purpose. 69 00:04:22,830 --> 00:04:25,920 They usually happen when the 70 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,400 perpetrator is anonymous or when the perpetrator 71 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:34,260 is supported by their peers around them or if they 72 00:04:34,260 --> 00:04:37,890 know that they can get away with it. These are 73 00:04:37,890 --> 00:04:41,940 conscious and biased beliefs that are expressed 74 00:04:42,060 --> 00:04:46,380 overtly. So, for example, a household that will 75 00:04:46,380 --> 00:04:50,460 display a swastika flag or an explicit 76 00:04:50,460 --> 00:04:54,810 avoidance of people of color like walking to the 77 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:57,450 opposite side of the street when they see a person 78 00:04:57,450 --> 00:05:00,570 of color coming towards them or avoiding them in 79 00:05:00,570 --> 00:05:05,760 elevators or whatnot. So such kinds of explicit and 80 00:05:06,210 --> 00:05:12,420 overt behaviors that relay 81 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,020 a message that is hostile or derogatory in 82 00:05:19,050 --> 00:05:22,770 sense. The second one is micro-insults. So 83 00:05:22,770 --> 00:05:26,850 these are very tricky to identify 84 00:05:29,770 --> 00:05:32,110 but they're the most common 85 00:05:32,110 --> 00:05:36,790 form of microaggression. So these are like subtle 86 00:05:36,790 --> 00:05:40,330 acts which convey contempt and disrespect for 87 00:05:40,330 --> 00:05:43,630 someone. So like I said they're subtle. They're 88 00:05:43,630 --> 00:05:46,900 kind of like spur of the moment, 89 00:05:46,900 --> 00:05:50,470 backhanded compliments and whatnot and it can be 90 00:05:50,470 --> 00:05:54,280 hard to tell if the perpetrator is even aware that what 91 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:57,640 they're doing is insulting or not. So for example 92 00:05:58,030 --> 00:06:00,550 using the word gay to refer to something 93 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,790 that's mean or stupid. Another is that when a 94 00:06:03,790 --> 00:06:08,470 person follows a person of color around a 95 00:06:08,470 --> 00:06:12,580 store or a supermarket. The third one is 96 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:16,780 micro-invalidations. So micro-invalidations, as 97 00:06:16,780 --> 00:06:20,830 Dr. Sue describe it, as the most insidious 98 00:06:20,830 --> 00:06:24,730 form of microaggression because it directly 99 00:06:24,730 --> 00:06:27,730 attacks or denies another person's experiential 100 00:06:27,790 --> 00:06:32,440 identity or reality. So micro 101 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:40,240 invalidations often imply to someone that 102 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,690 their experiences of discrimination are not real. 103 00:06:44,230 --> 00:06:47,500 So the perpetrator almost never realizes that 104 00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:51,010 they're doing something harmful. Micro-invalidations 105 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:56,560 are so stressful because you tend to doubt 106 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,320 yourself about whether a microaggression just 107 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,120 happened. They cause thoughts like "Why did that person 108 00:07:04,150 --> 00:07:08,470 act the way, because I X-Y and Z? Am I overreacting in 109 00:07:08,470 --> 00:07:12,550 the situation? Is this situation my fault?" And so 110 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,790 as you can see like micro-invalidations can 111 00:07:15,850 --> 00:07:19,690 create a flavor of paranoia which makes it the 112 00:07:19,690 --> 00:07:23,650 most harmful and difficult type of microaggression 113 00:07:24,090 --> 00:07:30,130 to to cope with. So one very typical example of 114 00:07:30,130 --> 00:07:33,340 micro invalidation is this statement: "I don't see 115 00:07:33,340 --> 00:07:37,690 color." So for other people it may seem 116 00:07:37,690 --> 00:07:41,110 like it's a harmless type of comment, that it's an 117 00:07:41,110 --> 00:07:47,500 okay comment. But there's a hidden message behind it 118 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:53,260 that says that cultural identity and authenticity 119 00:07:53,260 --> 00:07:57,760 of that person doesn't exist. It implies that the 120 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,050 person's culture of origin is not necessarily 121 00:08:02,050 --> 00:08:02,560 important. 122 00:08:06,490 --> 00:08:12,600 So, there are a lot of microaggressions around us. 123 00:08:12,670 --> 00:08:15,900 It can happen at school, at work, at home, wherever. 124 00:08:17,390 --> 00:08:23,190 But whether it happens in our workplace or in our 125 00:08:23,190 --> 00:08:27,090 daily lives it really has a significant impact to us. 126 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:32,080 So microaggression was found to have negative 127 00:08:32,170 --> 00:08:35,500 impact to the receiver's mental 128 00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:40,190 health causing depression, anxiety, speech 129 00:08:40,330 --> 00:08:44,980 difficulties, diminished confidence, helplessness, 130 00:08:45,430 --> 00:08:50,020 loss of drive, lack of behavioral control, and 131 00:08:50,020 --> 00:08:54,520 negative affect. These are all common negative 132 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,990 symptoms associated with microaggression. It was 133 00:08:59,050 --> 00:09:03,490 also found that people who experience 134 00:09:03,740 --> 00:09:08,800 microaggression, they can predict the type of 135 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,490 somatic symptoms or the intensity of somatic 136 00:09:12,490 --> 00:09:17,140 symptoms and negative affect that they will 137 00:09:17,140 --> 00:09:20,170 experience later on. This is 138 00:09:20,170 --> 00:09:22,450 especially true for Asian Americans and 139 00:09:22,540 --> 00:09:26,320 African-Americans who experience racial 140 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,100 microaggressions. There are a lot of studies too 141 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:33,430 that show that microaggression were associated 142 00:09:33,430 --> 00:09:36,880 with reports of hospitalization, history of heart 143 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:41,110 attacks, and overall negative health outcomes. One 144 00:09:41,110 --> 00:09:45,610 of the most common and intriguing impacts of 145 00:09:45,610 --> 00:09:48,640 microaggression is "intrusive cognitions" or 146 00:09:49,090 --> 00:09:53,500 this internal dilemma. So when someone experiences 147 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:54,910 microaggression, 148 00:09:57,910 --> 00:10:02,040 they tend to have this experience of 149 00:10:02,050 --> 00:10:06,160 asking themselves what really happened because of 150 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,010 the nature of microaggression victims of 151 00:10:09,010 --> 00:10:11,680 microaggression often experience this dilemma 152 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,440 where they doubt their experience and have 153 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,540 intrusive thoughts like "Did I 154 00:10:17,550 --> 00:10:20,920 interpret that correctly?" "Did she 155 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,590 say what I think she said?" 156 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,340 "What did he mean by that?" "Should I say something?" 157 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,040 "Will I be safe if I say something?" "Maybe they'll 158 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,250 think I'm overreacting" or "Maybe speaking out is 159 00:10:33,250 --> 00:10:36,370 not really going to help me." So these types of 160 00:10:36,370 --> 00:10:40,450 cognitions will come up and just reading it alone, 161 00:10:40,660 --> 00:10:44,050 right now it feels very, very 162 00:10:44,050 --> 00:10:46,690 exhausting. This is one of the reasons why 163 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:50,290 microaggression is dangerous and often hard to 164 00:10:50,290 --> 00:10:50,800 navigate. 165 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,980 But you know the reality is that we all 166 00:10:57,220 --> 00:11:00,040 participate in microagressive behavior one way or 167 00:11:00,050 --> 00:11:03,370 another. I think what is important is how we 168 00:11:03,370 --> 00:11:06,430 respond to that behavior when we recognize it or 169 00:11:06,430 --> 00:11:11,200 when someone else points it out to us. So if, for 170 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,310 example, you experience microaggression it is 171 00:11:15,310 --> 00:11:19,060 really helpful to first recognize what happened 172 00:11:19,780 --> 00:11:23,060 and see if the microaggression was directed to you or 173 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,980 someone else. It is also important to 174 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,350 validate and accept whatever feelings come up for 175 00:11:29,350 --> 00:11:34,510 you at the time. So feelings such as sadness, shock, and even 176 00:11:34,510 --> 00:11:37,360 anger they're all normative and valid 177 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,220 emotions to experience at the time. The second 178 00:11:42,220 --> 00:11:46,360 thing is to pause and assess or critically reflect 179 00:11:46,390 --> 00:11:51,090 what's going on. So pausing and exploring the 180 00:11:51,090 --> 00:11:54,450 context around you is very important. Always remember 181 00:11:54,450 --> 00:11:58,080 too, that whenever you decide what to 182 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,500 do or how to respond to microaggression the 183 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,860 context and your safety is the most important 184 00:12:04,860 --> 00:12:09,150 thing to consider. So it is okay to assess first 185 00:12:09,150 --> 00:12:12,480 whether it is safe to actively respond, or if you 186 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,090 want to turn it into like a teaching moment, or if 187 00:12:15,090 --> 00:12:17,760 you will need to have support moving forward. 188 00:12:18,930 --> 00:12:24,720 There is this "picking your battles" coping strategy, 189 00:12:25,710 --> 00:12:28,500 which has been studied by microaggression 190 00:12:28,830 --> 00:12:31,470 researchers. They found that this is one of the 191 00:12:31,470 --> 00:12:35,700 most common coping skills that victims engage in 192 00:12:35,700 --> 00:12:38,940 when faced with the microaggression. So 193 00:12:38,940 --> 00:12:41,370 leading up to that, I think it's it's 194 00:12:41,370 --> 00:12:46,020 important to decide what appropriate action to do 195 00:12:46,020 --> 00:12:49,170 moving forward considering you know your safety 196 00:12:49,170 --> 00:12:51,960 and the context that you are in. Like if you feel 197 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,690 comfortable and safe, speak to the 198 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:57,750 perpetrator. Or you could ask someone to help you 199 00:12:57,750 --> 00:13:01,800 or support you at that time. Helpful statements 200 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,680 such as "What do you mean by that?" or 201 00:13:04,950 --> 00:13:08,020 "That comment made you feel uncomfortable." or "Can I 202 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,290 give you some feedback about what you just said?" 203 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:13,650 These are good and safe responses that you can 204 00:13:13,650 --> 00:13:18,850 use when you are faced with a microaggression. 205 00:13:18,850 --> 00:13:24,340 How about if you know if you witness. microaggression? I think it's 206 00:13:24,460 --> 00:13:27,280 important to first ask the party affected if 207 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,050 they're okay. If you feel comfortable and competent 208 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,230 maybe you can ask also how the incident affected 209 00:13:35,230 --> 00:13:38,050 them. You know like how they're impacted by the 210 00:13:38,110 --> 00:13:41,290 microaggression and what help do they need at that 211 00:13:41,290 --> 00:13:44,920 particular moment. It is important to check in 212 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:48,190 with that person with what kind of support or help 213 00:13:48,190 --> 00:13:53,320 do they need. This approach kind-of like decreases 214 00:13:53,410 --> 00:13:56,020 our level of anxiety as well, and emotional 215 00:13:56,020 --> 00:14:00,190 reaction because we're seeking directions or 216 00:14:00,190 --> 00:14:05,010 guidance on how to move forward. Second is 217 00:14:05,010 --> 00:14:08,910 be responsive. If you care. It's best 218 00:14:08,910 --> 00:14:11,940 to reach out to the person who caused the harm and 219 00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:15,420 discuss why, or what the intent was behind their 220 00:14:15,420 --> 00:14:18,870 statement or reaction. And the third one is 221 00:14:18,870 --> 00:14:22,410 offer supporting options offer restorative 222 00:14:22,410 --> 00:14:25,340 transformation options to the party who caused them. 223 00:14:25,770 --> 00:14:28,140 The most important thing that we can do is 224 00:14:28,140 --> 00:14:31,410 verbally acknowledge the microaggression that has 225 00:14:31,410 --> 00:14:34,350 been committed and empower the aggressor to think 226 00:14:34,350 --> 00:14:37,770 about his or her words in a different way. 227 00:14:41,540 --> 00:14:45,710 So how about if you're the one who caused 228 00:14:45,710 --> 00:14:49,940 microaggression. Well first of all, like I said 229 00:14:49,970 --> 00:14:53,000 earlier everyone commits microaggressions to some 230 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,430 degree. We have done or said 231 00:14:55,430 --> 00:14:58,790 something that may have offended someone whether 232 00:14:58,790 --> 00:15:02,120 it was intentional or not. Sometimes we are aware 233 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,580 of our actions and sometimes it takes 234 00:15:04,610 --> 00:15:08,330 other people to point it out 235 00:15:08,330 --> 00:15:12,330 to us what happened or what we said. First 236 00:15:12,380 --> 00:15:15,230 I think it's very important that if 237 00:15:15,230 --> 00:15:17,720 you were aware that you have committed 238 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,140 microaggression, simply I encourage 239 00:15:21,140 --> 00:15:25,370 you to engage in self-reflection. Become aware 240 00:15:25,370 --> 00:15:28,160 of your own biases, anxieties, and your 241 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,610 motivations behind the harm, and then take 242 00:15:31,610 --> 00:15:34,220 accountability for your actions. Move away 243 00:15:34,220 --> 00:15:37,640 from shame and denial and embarrassment. I know 244 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:39,860 that we could easily get caught into those three 245 00:15:39,860 --> 00:15:43,910 things. But for those moments into which someone 246 00:15:43,910 --> 00:15:47,510 confronts you on your behavior listen to what he 247 00:15:47,510 --> 00:15:50,450 or she is trying to tell you and try not to be 248 00:15:50,450 --> 00:15:53,090 defensive. You know the worst thing that we can do 249 00:15:53,090 --> 00:15:56,510 is deny that someone is hurt or offended by 250 00:15:56,510 --> 00:15:59,990 something that we said or that we did. And in fact, 251 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,010 invalidating their experience is also 252 00:16:04,010 --> 00:16:07,040 a form of microaggression itself. So again, 253 00:16:07,070 --> 00:16:11,060 admit to the wrong-doing, genuinely 254 00:16:11,060 --> 00:16:16,190 apologize, and take appropriate steps 255 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:19,550 to restore or repair if there's a 256 00:16:19,550 --> 00:16:22,700 relationship that was affected, or 257 00:16:22,790 --> 00:16:26,540 make it a learning experience for both 258 00:16:27,170 --> 00:16:31,160 the victim and yourself. And lastly educate 259 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,590 yourself about your actions and take this as a 260 00:16:33,590 --> 00:16:36,740 learning experience to improve yourself. 261 00:16:37,490 --> 00:16:40,370 Engage in critical thinking. Seek help from other 262 00:16:40,370 --> 00:16:43,310 people. Make things 263 00:16:43,310 --> 00:16:46,300 right by listening to the harmed party and 264 00:16:46,340 --> 00:16:49,790 apologizing. Restorative responses such as 265 00:16:49,790 --> 00:16:53,150 'How can I improve?" or "What would be 266 00:16:53,150 --> 00:16:56,450 helpful to change moving forward?" are wonderful 267 00:16:56,450 --> 00:16:59,780 responses to hear from someone who committed or 268 00:16:59,780 --> 00:17:02,720 who engaged in microaggressive behavior. 269 00:17:07,060 --> 00:17:09,950 Shifting gears a little bit and focusing on 270 00:17:09,950 --> 00:17:12,780 coping with microaggression during 271 00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:17,160 Covid, during this whole pandemic since this 272 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,740 pandemic raised concern for personal 273 00:17:19,740 --> 00:17:23,430 safety and heightened anxiety. One effect of this 274 00:17:23,430 --> 00:17:26,780 heightened anxiety is that it can intensify this 275 00:17:27,180 --> 00:17:29,610 discrimination as we start focusing our 276 00:17:29,610 --> 00:17:34,020 attention on our own anxiety. So throughout the Covid-19 277 00:17:34,020 --> 00:17:37,980 pandemic many individuals particularly from the 278 00:17:38,340 --> 00:17:41,130 East Asian backgrounds are reporting more 279 00:17:41,130 --> 00:17:46,650 experiences of racism. So presently Asian 280 00:17:46,650 --> 00:17:50,640 individuals have been unfairly targeted by being 281 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,350 accused of having Covid when expressing normal non- 282 00:17:55,380 --> 00:17:58,860 illness related coughing or sneezing. And even 283 00:17:59,190 --> 00:18:02,130 when demonstrating symptoms of a common cold 284 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:06,930 or seasonal flu. So these East Asian 285 00:18:06,930 --> 00:18:09,930 individuals have been more likely to experience 286 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,130 negative consequences by showing these symptoms. 287 00:18:16,390 --> 00:18:19,110 And these reactions would 288 00:18:19,210 --> 00:18:24,530 manifest by some racialized violence in 289 00:18:24,550 --> 00:18:27,580 showing symptoms, such as slurs or 290 00:18:27,620 --> 00:18:31,420 glares or being removed from public places. And 291 00:18:31,420 --> 00:18:34,780 this can be very very physically and mentally 292 00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:39,700 exhausting. So so how do you cope with this. First 293 00:18:39,750 --> 00:18:42,670 choose self-care. If you have been 294 00:18:42,670 --> 00:18:46,030 targeted by prejudice and discrimination it is 295 00:18:46,030 --> 00:18:49,000 important to recognize that these are real issues 296 00:18:49,090 --> 00:18:52,150 and that these take a toll on your physical and 297 00:18:52,150 --> 00:18:55,430 mental well-being. Experiencing microaggression 298 00:18:55,510 --> 00:18:58,780 discrimination can be very taxing. So give 299 00:18:58,780 --> 00:19:02,230 yourself permission to engage in activities that 300 00:19:02,230 --> 00:19:05,320 restore your energy in your spirit. You're going to 301 00:19:05,830 --> 00:19:08,710 emphasize taking a moment to take care of yourself 302 00:19:08,740 --> 00:19:11,350 and others when hurt by discrimination. And 303 00:19:11,350 --> 00:19:14,830 remember that you have the right to be seen. You 304 00:19:14,830 --> 00:19:16,990 have the right to be welcomed. You have the right 305 00:19:16,990 --> 00:19:19,600 to be supported. You have the right to be served. 306 00:19:19,690 --> 00:19:23,280 And of course you have the right to be helped. And 307 00:19:23,590 --> 00:19:25,510 I think it's very important, too, to connect with 308 00:19:25,510 --> 00:19:28,340 your community, like communities of color, 309 00:19:28,420 --> 00:19:31,420 immigrants hold many strengths, including the 310 00:19:31,420 --> 00:19:34,030 strengths of your cultural values and social 311 00:19:34,030 --> 00:19:37,930 contributions. So identify if you'd like to 312 00:19:37,930 --> 00:19:41,560 receive information sources from 313 00:19:41,980 --> 00:19:44,950 communities that offer accurate sensitive 314 00:19:44,950 --> 00:19:49,510 information about the outbreak. Support one another 315 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:54,600 in your community. And then I think it's also 316 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,050 important to remember that during this time 317 00:19:58,140 --> 00:20:02,260 that racist individuals and systems may attempt to 318 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,180 drive a wedge or to tear the communities apart 319 00:20:06,750 --> 00:20:10,110 by holding some actions in communities as better, 320 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,860 while rejecting other other communities. So I 321 00:20:13,860 --> 00:20:16,290 think it's very important to be mindful in terms 322 00:20:16,290 --> 00:20:18,840 of the messages, the systemic messages that we get 323 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,940 from people outside 324 00:20:23,940 --> 00:20:28,220 our community. So find ways to connect when 325 00:20:28,230 --> 00:20:30,980 practicing social distancing. There 326 00:20:30,980 --> 00:20:33,510 are a lot of support groups in social media 327 00:20:33,510 --> 00:20:36,360 right now and other virtual communities. 328 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:39,190 There's an APA 329 00:20:42,090 --> 00:20:47,580 Section Division that is accumulating a good 330 00:20:47,910 --> 00:20:54,870 resource list for individuals or for those who are 331 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:59,280 impacted by this whole pandemic because of their 332 00:20:59,850 --> 00:21:04,480 cultural and ethnic background. 333 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,390 The fourth one is to make sure that you put 334 00:21:07,390 --> 00:21:10,390 your safety first. That is very much important. 335 00:21:10,390 --> 00:21:13,390 When you decide to go to 336 00:21:13,390 --> 00:21:15,880 the grocery store or when you decide to go out, 337 00:21:16,270 --> 00:21:18,910 I think it's good to be mindful in terms of your 338 00:21:19,300 --> 00:21:21,850 physical safety and then preparing yourself 339 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,120 mentally for what's going to happen outside, not 340 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:27,640 to increase or perpetuate 341 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:30,430 anxiety, but just to make sure that you are safe. 342 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,310 So that would look like maybe having someone with 343 00:21:33,310 --> 00:21:36,320 you when you go out, or that will look like maybe 344 00:21:37,090 --> 00:21:41,590 making sure that you are equipped or that you are 345 00:21:41,590 --> 00:21:45,880 in a good mental state before you go out. We can't 346 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,030 control other people. We can't control how other 347 00:21:49,030 --> 00:21:51,790 people would behave or would react, but we can 348 00:21:51,790 --> 00:21:55,210 control how we prepare ourselves to those kinds of 349 00:21:55,210 --> 00:22:01,170 situations. And another thing too is that I think it's 350 00:22:01,170 --> 00:22:04,140 very helpful to remind ourselves that what is 351 00:22:04,140 --> 00:22:07,500 going on right now is is part of something bigger. 352 00:22:07,890 --> 00:22:10,470 Try to look at the situation from a 353 00:22:10,470 --> 00:22:12,960 helicopter view, if you may. So these 354 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,400 microaggression feel very personal, but they 355 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,810 are part of a larger narrative. Like 356 00:22:18,810 --> 00:22:21,720 historically Asian Americans are seen as either 357 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,990 the model minority, or the group to be scared of 358 00:22:25,050 --> 00:22:27,750 in a sense. So this influences the narrative that 359 00:22:27,750 --> 00:22:31,260 people use nowadays. So the problem is 360 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:35,160 institutional and systemic in nature. However with 361 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,070 me saying this or using this approach 362 00:22:38,070 --> 00:22:40,710 to cope does not necessarily mean that your 363 00:22:40,710 --> 00:22:45,510 experiences are not real. They are very much real. So 364 00:22:45,510 --> 00:22:49,340 this approach of looking at it from 365 00:22:49,620 --> 00:22:52,530 a different perspective or from a larger narrative, 366 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:56,340 this approach helps us realize and recognize that 367 00:22:56,340 --> 00:23:00,030 the situation is very complex and focusing on 368 00:23:00,030 --> 00:23:02,730 things within our control. Adjust your self care 369 00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:07,080 and ask them for support is more helpful. And of 370 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,040 course the last thing is get support. You know 371 00:23:10,050 --> 00:23:11,850 this may look like getting support from your 372 00:23:11,850 --> 00:23:15,020 family, from your friends, from your community, from 373 00:23:15,020 --> 00:23:18,140 health care professionals, from your therapist, 374 00:23:18,140 --> 00:23:21,000 from the health center. I would encourage 375 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,730 you to talk about your experiences 376 00:23:24,810 --> 00:23:26,760 and you'll process it with someone that you 377 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,340 trust. I think that is very very very important. 378 00:23:31,420 --> 00:23:35,710 So that concludes my presentation. Hopefully 379 00:23:36,070 --> 00:23:38,620 you were able to get a couple of tips or 380 00:23:38,620 --> 00:23:44,110 learn a couple of things that are helpful. One last 381 00:23:44,110 --> 00:23:46,270 thing that I would like to encourage and challenge 382 00:23:46,270 --> 00:23:49,270 you with, moving forward, is always use kindness and 383 00:23:49,270 --> 00:23:52,300 compassion. Knowing we are living in a crisis mode 384 00:23:52,300 --> 00:23:55,780 right now and practicing kindness for others and 385 00:23:55,780 --> 00:23:59,410 to yourself is an extremely, extremely important. 386 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:06,400 So thank you everyone for listening.