8.2 (Shenoy-Packer 2014)

First-generation immigrants are prone to microaggressions.

microaggressions are “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults”. (Sue et al. 2007)

Microagresssion exists in 3 forms:

• Verbal: Sarcasm
• Attitudinal: Stereotypes (e.g., not fit into stereotypes, or fit into stereotypes which dismisses individual achievement)
  
• Professional: Skepticism (e.g., microinvalidations when immigrant professionals’ credentials and qualifications are challenged )

Sensemaking model by (Weick 1995) explains how one can retrospectively make sense of past events and respond to future events. CSM helps make sense of immigrant professional’s experiences through the lenses of power (e.g., dominant-nondominant interactions).

To counter, immigrant professionals

• create another selves
  • muting/creating dual selves
    
  • giving in
  • giving up/ dissociating self
    
• rationalizes
  • perspective-taking
    
  • blaming ignorance
    
  • dismissing
    
  • using humor
    
• takes ownership
  • normalizing
    
  • appreciating cultural differences
    
  • adapting to disparate expectation

References

Shenoy-Packer, Suchitra. 2014. “Immigrant Professionals, Microaggressions, and Critical Sensemaking in the U.s. Workplace.” Management Communication Quarterly 29 (2): 257–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318914562069.

Sue, Derald Wing, Christina M. Capodilupo, Gina C. Torino, Jennifer M. Bucceri, Aisha M. B. Holder, Kevin L. Nadal, and Marta Esquilin. 2007. “Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice.” American Psychologist 62 (4): 271–86. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.62.4.271.

Weick, K. E. 1995. Sensemaking in Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.