Opinion: How microaggressions hurt

I recently read the novel “Yellowface” by author R. F. Kuang, and let me tell you, I had thoughts.

“Yellowface” follows a white author, June Hayward, who steals the work of her deceased Chinese friend, Athena Lui, publishing it as her own. Described as a dark yet funny contemporary thriller, GoodReads says “Yellowface” “grapples with the questions of diversity, racism and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.”

While there are many topics this book broaches that could be talked about, I want to take a look at microaggressions.

I think “Yellowface” is an excellent book, specifically because the narrator is often not in the right. Aside from plagiarism, June actively participates in the use of microaggressions towards the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community.

What is a microaggression? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a microaggression as " a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.” In other words, they are often small comments or actions that are not meant to be rude or racist, but still play on a prejudiced or hurtful idea about a person.

The example of a microaggression given by Merriam-Webster is “You’re really pretty … for a dark-skinned girl.” This is implying that those with dark skin aren’t as pretty as those with lighter skin.

There are many instances of microaggressions in “Yellowface.”

In the very beginning, when June is explaining who Athena is, she bases all of Athena’s success off of her race.

“Publishing picks a winner - someone attractive enough, someone cool and young, oh, we’re all thinking it, let’s just say it, “diverse” enough - and lavishes all its money and resources on them.”

Later on, when mentoring a young Korean American girl, June tells her that she won’t have to worry about being published because she’s Asian.

“‘If anything, it’s easier now than ever to be Asian in the industry. … Diversity is what’s selling right now. Editors are hungry for marginalized voices. You’ll get plenty of opportunities for being different, Emmy. I mean, a queer Asian girl? That’s every checkbox on the list. They’ll be slobbering all over this manuscript.’”

Later on, as she’s working to publish the book she stole, someone suggests having a Chinese diaspora sensitivity reader, aka someone to make sure nothing June wrote was offensive, racist, etc. However, June refuses to have such a reader, saying that she did enough research and that she knows best.

Closer to the end of the book, when June is trying to find ideas for her next book, she goes to Chinatown. When she enters a restaurant there, she’s chagrined at the menu.

“There’s nothing I want to eat here. The menu consists entirely of different kinds of soup dumplings. I don’t know what a soup dumpling is, but it sounds gross.”

Later, she starts talking to one of the workers at the restaurant, hoping to find inspiration for her writing. She’s shocked when he’s able to speak to her in non-broken English.

One (of many) problems with all of this is that June doesn’t realize that what she is saying or doing is wrong. Unfortunately, many people don’t see the issues with microaggressions. Some words might have a positive intention, but have negative results.

June’s comments about Athena’s success come from a place of jealousy, but they take away Athena’s actual skill as a writer. She also later diminishes the girl the writing of the girl she’s mentoring, implying that, if she experiences success, it’s simply because she’s Asian.

When June refuses to employ a sensitivity writer, she insists that she has more knowledge about racial aggressions and about offensive Chinese stereotypes through her research of history, rather than someone who is actually Chinese.

June’s time at the restaurant in Chinatown continues these microaggressions. She’s unhappy that a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown serves Chinese food. One form of microaggression is assuming that your way is the only way or the normal way, that anything different is “gross.”

When she speaks to the Chinese man, she’s surprised at his English. She automatically assumes that, since he’s in Chinatown and Asian, he must not speak English.

Microaggressions often come from a place of ignorance, not malice. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not still wrong. Rudeness and offense are still harmful, no matter the intention.

I think the way microaggressions are shown in “Yellowface” is great, because June is never shown as being correct in these assumptions. In fact, many of these assumptions are proved to be wrong or hurtful. While June might not learn from them, the reader certainly does. June never becomes the hero she thinks she is.