Micro-Aggressions and their Violent Impact on Low Income Latinos in the US: Reflections of a Therapist*

"He treated me like an animal." Juan's eyes expressed anger and his voice was sharp, demonstrating what seemed like a deep and prolonged sense of anger, or rage, which now was finding its way to be verbalized. However, his body posture represented a person who appeared to have given up the fight, with hanging shoulders, and his eyes only meeting mine for a short moment, before they again found rest on the carpet. I leaned in, inviting him to share with me what had happened.

Juan shared how he and his family had attended a birthday party of a friend, and how they had been driving home Saturday afternoon on one of the local highways. They had been chatting about the afternoon's events, and their youngest child had been sleeping, buckled into his car seat. Juan had not noticed the police car approaching behind him before the sirens were activated and he was signaled to pull over. Juan described to me how he had started sweating and he could feel his rapid heartbeat as thoughts raced through his mind. He was keenly aware that he does not have a valid driver's license. Being in the US without a valid visa, he is unable to renew his expired driving permit. Juan shared with me the concerns that had raced through his mind, as he was slowing down the vehicle and preparing to stop by the roadside. His thoughts, fueled by intense fear, kept spinning around the thought that he would be arrested and even deported. He knew this had happened to others who did not have the document. If that was the case, who would take care of his family? Would they be able to reunite, somewhere and at some point in time? As the officer approached the car, Juan was noticing how his hands were trembling slightly on the steering wheel. Everyone in the car was quiet. Juan rolled down the window and followed the directions of the officer. Juan did not share with me much of the conversation he had with the officer. Juan reported no yelling on the part of the policeman or any kind of physical touch. He was not detained, but got a warning. Since he was allowed to continue, it is tempting to say "Oh well, nothing happened." Yet, Juan was left with a deep and degrading sense of dehumanization, which he expressed through his repeated comment of "he treated me like an animal."

Normally, violence is presented to us through very explicit visual images of destruction, including physical attacks, dismemberments, and bloodied bodies. Normally, these violent images are ragingly loud, or they are uncomfortably quiet, when dead or destroyed bodies are left for passersby to observe. We often see images like these being used to represent Latin American countries and their people. As a therapist working with Latinas/os in the United States, I hear many personal stories including severe physical and sexual violence, community violence, and war-like atrocities; these accounts often create and leave violent imprints on my mind.¹ These violent stories are real and they often leave survivors struggling with a hyper-alert nervous system, where emotional regulation becomes difficult, and where daily functioning and relationships become challenging.

However, I also see the more silenced processes of violence as manifested through violent acts of micro-aggressions. Chester M. Pierce coined the term "micro-aggression" in the 1970s based on observations through his work as a psychiatrist, where he noted acts of degradation, especially against African Americans, and their impact on mental and emotional wellbeing. Micro-aggressions are "small acts, often subtle and out of the awareness of both people-of-color and Whites, that exploit, degrade, put down, and express aggression against people of color. These acts require them to monitor their helplessness and rage constantly – a necessity that takes a toll in terms of stress and health problems" (Pinderhughes 84). Micro-aggressions are dehumanizing statements that send a powerful message to a person, expressing that they have less worth – that they...