Microaggressions and Latina/o Americans: An Analysis of Nativity, Gender, and Ethnicity

This exploratory study examined microaggressions experienced by Latinas/os and considered whether such discrimination manifests differently based on gender, ethnicity, or nativity among a sample of 311 Latina/o Americans. Descriptive analyses of microaggression experiences in participants' lives were examined with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a series of t tests. The results showed significant differences in experiences of microaggressions: women experienced more microaggressions in the workplace or school settings; self-identified Dominicans were more likely to experience being exoticized; and Puerto Ricans more likely to be treated as second-class citizens or as criminals. The results also found younger Latinos/as, and those with lower levels of education, were more likely to experience microinvalidations. Although the results support previous research that racial and ethnic minorities experience microaggressions, the current findings extend this growing body of research by highlighting the role of within group differences in Latina/o Americans' experiences of microaggressions. Implications for research and racial microaggressions scholarship are discussed.