The million other straws.
Umbrella term coined and formalised in social studies; "the little things" of living in a socially marginalised group (think women/LGBT/not
white). Comparatively small personal offenses that, over a long
period, erode their way into a general climate of (at best) discomfort and (at worst, in particularly violent forms) distrust and fear. This ends one of two ways: either the camel'
s back breaks, and the affected party snaps at someone -- and, typically, never lives it down, as "that
PC guy" everyone hates -- or they progressively withdraw from social interaction, into either self-segregation or complete loneliness. (See "safe
space." Or, actually,
don't.)
That no single particular event can be pointed at makes the matter particularly
hard to understand from a mainstream (i.e.
white) perspective, particularly one coddled throughout its lifetime into ascribing quasi-magical attributes to the all-encompassing power of their own intent. Such that even bringing up the subject usually ends with some white guy, who couldn't take half a mayonnaise
joke, lecturing you on how much better and more
thick-skinned he is than you. (He isn't.) This happens consistently enough that "
safe spaces" eventually arose, as the affected parties just stopped bothering. (And now he complains about those.)
If you understand "the last straw," you understand microaggressions.
A: "Hur hur, you're a
terrorist."
B: "Hur hur, you're a
terrorist."
C: "Hur hur, you're a
terrorist."
X: "You're not original."
A, B, C (in unison): "You're offended, you oversensitive terrorist!"
(later)
A: "Why do they keep segregating themselves?"
B: "Their sheltered little minds can't handle our original opinions, obviously."
X: "Mayonnaise."
A, B (in unison): "How DARE you?!"
