There’s some very interesting research that there is a cumulative effect to these microaggressions and the ways in which certain groups experience racism in this country that probably makes a substantial contribution to some of the differences in health statuses and some of the health disparities that we see. There is a different body of literature that looks at the more overt and explicit forms of racism, but I think the microaggressions are important to understand because they are so ubiquitous and so constant for many of us. And I think if you are from a group where you have not experienced this kind of behavior, you really don’t appreciate the level of stress it adds to your everyday life. I think many of us have formulated very effective strategies to deal with it, but it takes energy. As the research continues to come out, it will be more and more clear how adversely these microaggressions affect people.
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