Black Students Experiencing Racial and Intersectional Microaggressions at a Research-Intensive (R1) Hispanic-Serving Institution

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: A Critical Examination of Racial Identity Development in Higher Education Spaces

Abstract

Results from a 2021 survey of graduate, professional, and undergraduate students who are BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at a research-intensive Hispanic-serving university in the Southwest indicate Black students may be experiencing secondary marginalization (Cohen 1999). Black students--women, men, trans, queer, and PWDs are more likely to experience racial and intersectional microaggressions (RIMAs) relative to other racial minorities. Adding to the racial microaggressions literature (Sue et al 2007; Lewis 2019) this presentation describes how such experiences are intersectional, i.e. amplified for Black students who are PWD; and/or who are LGBTQIA. Understanding RIMAs and learning to interrupt them can help faculty become more effective mentors and thus improve the scholarly environment for learners in higher education.

Author

• Assata Zerai, University of New Mexico