Theorizing racial microaffirmations: a Critical Race/LatCrit approach

This article theorizes the concept of racial microaffirmations and illustrates different microaffirmation types. We report findings from a study that employed narrative interviews to solicit stories from racially minoritized students at a predominantly white university. Participants included 16 graduate students and 18 undergraduate students who identified as African-American, Latinx or mixed race. Students shared microaffirmations that they experienced related to their racial identities. We developed a typology of four microaffirmation types from the students’ stories: microrecognitions, microvalidations, microtransformations and microprotections. Drawing on the students’ stories, we further define each microaffirmation type and root the typology in the foundational elements of Critical Race/LatCrit theoretical framework. This study offers concrete examples of experiences university students found affirming that are helpful to practitioners seeking to better understand what racial microaffirmations are and ways they may be promoted. This work also expands the literature on microaffirmations and points to areas that need further research.