The consequences of racial microaggressions are most often discussed at an interpersonal level. In this article, we contend that microaggressions play an important role in maintaining systems of racial oppression beyond the interpersonal context. Specifically, we illustrate how microaggressions establish White superiority in the United States by othering people of color (e.g., treating people of color as if they are not true citizens) and communicating that they are inferior (e.g., environmental exclusions and attacks, treating people of color as second-class citizens). We also present evidence that microaggressions play a role in protecting and reinforcing systemic racism. By obscuring systemic racism (e.g., false color blindness, denial of individual racism) and promoting ideas that maintain existing systemic inequalities (e.g., the myth of meritocracy, reverse-racism hostility), microaggressions provide cover and support for established systems of oppression. Overall, we find considerable evidence—from both empirical studies and real-world examples—that microaggressions contribute to the maintenance of systems of racial oppression in the United States. We conclude with a discussion of how we might begin to challenge this cycle by increasing awareness of systemic racism and the microaggressions that aid in its perpetuation.

种族微攻击的后果最常在人际层面上讨论。在本文中，我们认为微攻击在维持超越人际背景的种族压迫系统方面发挥着重要作用。具体来说，我们通过将有色人种视为非真正公民并传达他们是劣等人（例如，环境排斥和攻击，对待有色人种颜色作为二等公民）。我们还提供了证据表明微攻击在保护和加强系统性种族主义方面发挥了作用。通过掩盖系统性种族主义（例如，虚假色盲、否认个人种族主义）和宣传维持现有系统性不平等的想法（例如，精英管理的神话，反向种族主义敌意），微观侵略为既定的压迫制度提供掩护和支持。总体而言，我们从实证研究和现实世界的例子中发现了大量证据表明，微观侵略有助于维持美国的种族压迫制度。最后，我们讨论了如何通过提高对系统性种族主义和有助于其长期存在的微观侵略的认识来开始挑战这一循环。