Is the Weight of Microaggressions Real or Perceived?

In my opinion, microaggressions are very real and have tangible and legitimate consequences. One way we know that their weight is real is when Olivia asked us all to write down one microaggression that we have encountered in our lives on an index card, and there was not one person in the room who did not have something to share. The problem is that microaggressions are so deeply engrained in the media, and even in most school curriculums, that they become ubiquitous and their weight may seem lighter, or it may seem like it's okay to turn them into jokes. While sometimes, as we discussed, people commit verbal or nonverbal microaggressions without intending to harm or offend, I find it difficult to believe that people who commit microaggressions are always unaware of their actions. For example, I found an article about a student at Fordham who interviewed her peers about microaggressions they've encountered, and people have said some blatantly offensive things, like "'You're really pretty...for a dark skin girl.'" (http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions-you-hear-on-a-daily-basis). These people who were interviewed clearly had some things said to them that stayed with them and were offensive. The unfortunate thing about microaggressions is that they are founded upon stereotypes, and committing a microaggression is acting upon a stereotype that may be somewhat rooted in truth, but of course is not the whole truth and does not represent all people within a certain group. Especially since non-white races tend to be misrepresented, people will commit microaggressions because they believe that all people of one race have to be the same. Indicating this to one individual in a microaggression can be horribly offensive, and cause psychological ramifications, even if that was not the initial intent.