Assembly Ignites Mixed Reactions Across Campus

“You’re really pretty for a black girl,” upper Julie Chung said to upper Peace Kabari onstage at assembly on Tuesday. Reading off a script designed to illustrate examples of microaggression at Exeter, Chung’s statement was one of several offered by PEA’s Diversity Council and Dean of Multicultural Affairs Rosanna Salcedo.

A microaggression is an unintentional attack on a person’s identity and is often masked as a compliment or joke. It leaves the recipient with a negative feeling, even if they can’t determine exactly why the comment was harmful. “I didn’t know there was a word for this type of thing, and I didn’t know it happened to other people,” said prep Arielle Lui.

The assembly began with Salcedo talking about her personal experiences with microaggression at Exeter—a colleague’s seemingly innocent comment to her—“You know, everytime I look at you, I think of that woman from ‘Modern Family.’” She explained that while the colleague’s comment may have seemed innocuous, its implications were hurtful.

The comparison encapsulated one facet of her identity—her Latina ethnicity—and based the person’s perception of her around it. She proceeded to show a montage of the character to which she was compared. The video focused on the character’s loud and dramatic way of speaking, which starkly contrasted Salcedo’s professional manner. Moreover, the compilation portrayed what Salcedo described as the stereotypical Latina woman: loud and unserious.

Salcedo said that microaggressions are likely to occur in any diverse community, Exeter included. “It's important that we talk about it and become more aware so it doesn't erode our sense of community,” continued Salcedo.

After her introduction, student members of the Diversity Council took to the stage and performed skits based on student-reported experiences with microaggression. The aim of the assembly was to initiate a conversation about the commonality of microaggressions at Exeter, which tends to be a topic students and faculty avoid. Salcedo and the Diversity Council also hoped to give students and teachers the tools necessary to respond to microaggressions when they occur.

Reactions varied widely across campus in the wake of the Council’s assembly. Many noticed flaws in the presentation’s organization or performance, but some chose to overlook the minor mishaps for the general benefits of the assembly.

“As with anything, it could have been improved, but overall the discussions that have come from it are important enough to counteract the mistakes made in the assembly,” senior Sadie Gregory said. “Naturally, high schoolers will mock anything that their administrations approves of, but at least there is a discussion now.”

For others, the assembly’s apparent faults clouded the intended message too heavily. Senior Philip Chang, while he saw the importance of beginning a conversation regarding microaggressions, was disappointed by the presentation. “I do not think it was effective in promoting productive dialogue or thought relating to the issue, and [it] left more people wondering why we should care,” he said.

Regardless of their opinions, most of the student body understood that, over time, microaggressions hurt community bonds and harm relationships. Many people are unaware of the implications of these events and don’t understand what is hurtful about them. “Although they aren't with ill intention, there's still a biting, demeaning quality to them,” said upper and Diversity Council member Tierra McClain.

“Something so common is easy to dismiss when it doesn't affect you, and that's unfortunate, but in some ways it's also part of an ongoing effort to increase awareness.”

When describing common microaggressions, McClain also noted that the targets aren’t necessarily minorities. The Council wrote scripts centered around many different types of individuals in order to illustrate how “everyone at some point has felt demeaned or dismissed by someone seeing them for only one fraction of their identity, whether they're a minority, legacy or athlete.”

Salcedo noted that some students blame sensitivity to microaggressions on thin skin. They have told her that instead of avoiding and combating all microaggressions, the recipients should try to take less offense. She argued that thick skin will not make a community more connected, “but rather more disconnected and suspicious of each other.” Hiding feelings, she explained, is ultimately unhealthy to individuals and to the community as a whole.

Principal Tom Hassan, now in his final year, saw this assembly as an integral part of his work trying to transform Exeter into “an even more caring and connected community.”

He hoped that all community members in attendance left the assembly with a better understanding of the problem, urging each to “be more aware of the effect of our comments and actions toward others.”

Diversity Council member Charis Edwards echoed these sentiments. “Something so common is easy to dismiss when it doesn't affect you, and that's unfortunate, but in some ways it's also part of an ongoing effort to increase awareness,” she said.

History Department Chair Bill Jordan hopes that students “won’t have to walk on eggshells that anything they say could be taken as offensive” in the aftermath of the assembly.

Some others, however, had not witnessed microaggressions taking place. Jordan said that he had not yet seen them, at least not in a form like the blatant examples used in the assembly.

He said that while any topic that makes people more considerate is worthwhile, he found the topic to be one “that could lend itself to a little joshing around. I can see it coming that people will make fun of microaggressions.”

Upper Cesar Zamudio, who is a member of the Diversity Council and participated in the assembly, agreed with Hassan. “I hope discussion still continues and that people who understand microaggression can continue to teach and educate those who don't,” he said.

Lower Jesus Rivera, also a member of the Council, explained that it’s important to address the everyday nature of microaggressions and work together to “decrease the frequency of their occurrence.”

However, the assembly didn’t run faultlessly. While the performers had a carefully written script, some strayed from it, which Edwards said could have caused problems with clarity. Although it elicited some laughter, the Diversity Council believed that the assembly sparked the intended conversation.

“Although a lot of laughter was met in hearing the examples of microaggressions, I do hope that Exonians will reflect on times where they've experienced a microaggression—and use it as a learning experience,” said McClain.

Salcedo also noted the cynicism, but dismissed it as a typical response. “There will always be cynics,” she said.