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Part I: Interview Questions

For this part of the exercise, you will need to be familiar with the week 3 readings, specifically the federal antidiscrimination laws. Assume you just became a member of the hiring committee at your workplace. As part of
the hiring committee, you have to interview qualified candidates and make hiring decisions. You have been told that the company has a set of questions that it has been using for a very, very long time. However, since you are the newest member of the committee, you were asked to review these questions to make sure that the questions are appropriate and comply with federal law.

A list of interview questions is produced below. The list below may contain more than three questions that could be considered inappropriate as they may be seeking information that is protected by federal antidiscrimination laws. You can assume that some of these questions are being asked for the purpose to eliminate job candidates. You can also assume that all federal laws apply to the employer.

Your job is to only identify three inappropriate questions from the list below. Note: Not all questions are inappropriate. You need to identify only 3 inappropriate questions. For each of your three questions, list the question and explain: why you believe the question may be inappropriate, discuss which protected class is at issue, and which federal antidiscrimination law applies to prohibit such information. 

Interview Questions:
1. We would love to hear from you. Tell us a little about yourself.
2. Where were you or your parents born?
3. We are looking for healthy and fit people. Do you have any medical conditions we should know about?
4. Before we make an offer, we require that you take a physical. Are you willing to take a physical?
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
6. What year did you graduate high school?
7. We have a more conservative atmosphere here. Just checking, are you gay?
8. Are you considering starting a family or becoming pregnant?
9. What is your religious affiliation or denomination?
10. In sum, why should we hire you?

Part II: Microaggression
Microaggression is a term that is being used or discussed more frequently of late. Microaggressions are defined as the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership.

I suspect many of us have stated things that we did not know could be considered a microaggression. I have attached a document titled, “Tool: Recognizing Microaggressions and the Messages They Send.” This is not an exhaustive list of microaggressions, but it provides examples of how some comments or questions we state can have the effect of sending an unintended or negative message to the recipient of our message. This reinforces what many of us know – our words and conduct matter. Furthermore, by continuing to educate ourselves, we can better understand the implications of our words and conduct, and make any necessary corrections.

Microaggression handout:

tool-recognizing-microaggressions-1

Actions

 

Microaggression Video Clip:

Question: Please read the microaggressions handout and watch the video. The video contains three scenes, but you only need to pick two scenes and answer the following for each scene you choose: Identify the microaggression in the scene and explain what negative message it may be sending.

Scene#________
Identify the microaggression and explain what negative message it may be sending:

Scene#________
Identify the microaggression and explain what negative message it may be sending:

Part III. Bonus/Extra Credit Question:
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not specifically list sexual orientation as a protected class. Does California law list sexual orientation as a protected class? If yes, please state the California law.

Tool: Recognizing Microaggressions and the Messages They Send

Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or
unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their
marginalized group membership (from Diversity in the Classroom, UCLA Diversity & Faculty Development, 2014). The
first step in addressing microaggressions is to recognize when a microaggression has occurred and what
message it may be sending. The context of the relationship and situation is critical. Below are common themes to
which microaggressions attach.

Adapted from Sue, Derald Wing, Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation, Wiley & Sons, 2010.

THEMES MICROAGGRESSION EXAMPLES MESSAGE
Alien in One’s Own Land

When Asian Americans, Latino
Americans and others who look
different or are named differently
from the dominant culture are
assumed to be foreign-born

“Where are you from or where were you born?”

“You speak English very well.”

“What are you? You’re so interesting looking!”

A person asking an Asian American or Latino
American to teach them words in their native
language.

Continuing to mispronounce the names of students
after students have corrected the person time and
time again. Not willing to listen closely and learn
the pronunciation of a non-English based name.

You are not a true American.

You are a perpetual foreigner in
your own country.

Your ethnic/racial identity makes
you exotic.

Ascription of Intelligence

Assigning intelligence to a person
of color or a woman based on
his/her race/gender

“You are a credit to your race.”

“Wow! How did you become so good in math?”

To an Asian person, “You must be good in math,
can you help me with this problem?”

To a woman of color: “I would have never guessed
that you were a scientist.”

People of color are generally not
as intelligent as Whites.
All Asians are intelligent and good
in math/science.
It is unusual for a woman to have
strong mathematical skills.

Color Blindness

Statements that indicate that a
White person does not want to or
need to acknowledge race.

“When I look at you, I don’t see color.”

“There is only one race, the human race.”

“America is a melting pot.”

“I don’t believe in race.”

Denying the experiences of students by
questioning the credibility /validity of their stories.

Assimilate to the dominant culture.
Denying the significance of a
person of color’s racial/ethnic
experience and history.
Denying the individual as a
racial/cultural being.

Criminality/Assumption of
Criminal Status

A person of color is presumed to
be dangerous, criminal, or deviant
based on his/her race.

A White man or woman clutches his/her purse or
checks wallet as a Black or Latino person
approaches.

A store owner following a customer of color around
the store.

Someone crosses to the other side of the street to
avoid a person of color.

While walking through the halls of the Chemistry
building, a professor approaches a post-doctoral
student of color to ask if she/he is lost, making the
assumption that the person is trying to break into
one of the labs.

You are a criminal.

You are going to steal/you are
poor, you do not belong.

You are dangerous.

Denial of Individual
Racism/Sexism/Heterosexism

A statement made when bias is
denied.

“I’m not racist. I have several Black friends.”

“As a woman, I know what you go through as a
racial minority.”

To a person of color: “Are you sure you were being
followed in the store? I can’t believe it.”

I could never be racist because I
have friends of color.
Your racial oppression is no
different than my gender
oppression. I can’t be a racist. I’m
like you.
Denying the personal experience
of individuals who experience
bias.

Myth of Meritocracy

Statements which assert that race
or gender does not play a role in
life successes, for example in
issues like faculty demographics.

“I believe the most qualified person should get the
job.”

“Of course he’ll get tenure, even though he hasn’t
published much—he’s Black!”

“Men and women have equal opportunities for
achievement.”

“Gender plays no part in who we hire.”

“America is the land of opportunity.”

“Everyone can succeed in this society, if they work
hard enough.”

“Affirmative action is racist.”

People of color are given extra
unfair benefits because of their
race.
The playing field is even so if
women cannot make it, the
problem is with them.
People of color are lazy and/or
incompetent and need to work
harder.

Tool: Recognizing Microaggressions and the Messages They Send

Adapted from Sue, Derald Wing, Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation, Wiley & Sons, 2010.

THEMES MICROAGGRESSION MESSAGE
Pathologizing Cultural
Values/Communication Styles

The notion that the values and
communication styles of the
dominant/White culture are
ideal/”normal”.

To an Asian, Latino or Native American: “Why are
you so quiet? We want to know what you think. Be
more verbal.” “Speak up more.”

Asking a Black person: “Why do you have to be so
loud/animated? Just calm down.”

“Why are you always angry?” anytime race is

brought up in the classroom discussion.

Dismissing an individual who brings up race/culture
in work/school setting.

Assimilate to dominant culture.

Leave your cultural baggage
outside.
There is no room for difference.

Second-Class Citizen

Occurs when a target group
member receives differential
treatment from the power group;
for example, being given
preferential treatment as a
consumer over a person of color.

Faculty of color mistaken for a service worker.

Not wanting to sit by someone because of his/her
color.

Female doctor mistaken for a nurse.

Being ignored at a store counter as attention is
given to the White customer.

Saying “You people…”

An advisor assigns a Black post-doctoral student to
escort a visiting scientist of the same race even
though there are other non-Black scientists in this
person’s specific area of research.

An advisor sends an email to another work
colleague describing another individual as a “good
Black scientist.”

Raising your voice or speaking slowly when
addressing a blind student.

In class, an instructor tends to call on male
students more frequently than female ones.

People of color are servants to
Whites. They couldn’t possibly
occupy high status positions.
Women occupy nurturing
positions.
Whites are more valued
customers than people of color.

You don’t belong. You are a
lesser being.

A person with a disability is
defined as lesser in all aspects of
physical and mental functioning.
The contributions of female
students are less worthy than the
contributions of male students.

Sexist/Heterosexist Language

Terms that exclude or degrade
women and LGBT persons.

Use of the pronoun “he” to refer to all people.

Being constantly reminded by a coworker that “we
are only women.”

Being forced to choose Male or Female when
completing basic forms.

Two options for relationship status: married or
single.

A heterosexual man who often hangs out with his
female friends more than his male friends is
labeled as gay.

Male experience is universal.
Female experience is invisible.

LGBT categories are not
recognized.
LGBT partnerships are invisible.

Men who do not fit male
stereotypes are inferior.

Traditional Gender Role
Prejudicing and Stereotyping

Occurs when expectations of
traditional roles or stereotypes are
conveyed.

When a female student asks a male professor for
extra help on an engineering assignment, he asks
“What do you need to work on this for anyway?”

“You’re a girl, you don’t have to be good at math.”

A person asks a woman her age and, upon hearing
she is 31, looks quickly at her ring finger.

An advisor asks a female student if she is planning
on having children while in postdoctoral training.

Shows surprise when a feminine woman turns out
to be a lesbian.

Labeling an assertive female committee chair/dean
as a “b____,” while describing a male counterpart
as a “forceful leader.”

Women are less capable in math
and science.

Women should be married during
child-bearing ages because that is
their primary purpose.

Women are out of line when they
are aggressive.

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