A simple tweet, which asked, “what sounds like a compliment, but isn’t?” went viral, for many reasons. Users responded to the question with answers that range from funny to odd to just plain racist. Latinos shared numerous anecdotes that exposed the reality of microaggressions Latinos face daily.
The viral tweet exposes some very big microaggressions that exist for Latinos and other marginalized communities.
And the comments range from being about looks, weight, beauty, speech, and more. And, strangers aren’t the only ones making these comments. For many Latinos, the comments come from beloved family members.
And then, some comments are just straight racist.
Microaggressions are not funny, in fact, they are rooted in racism and white superiority, but they are said so often that people don’t see them as racist. Many of these responses show how much marginalized people have had to “grin and bear it” for most of their lives. And, it’s not just in the United States, but all over the world, which means we have a long way to go when it comes to unifying. A long way, indeed.