Racism is usually thought of in terms of clearly visible or audible manifestations: racist jokes, hate crimes, etc. CRT; however, looks at the more subtle and inherent forms of racism - often those that seem harmless, but are in reality laden with strong messages of racism. One of the most common examples is the question: “Where were you born”? For the individual posing the question, it may be a way to take a general interest in the life of another. But the problem with the question is that it implies that the person the question is being posed to could not possibly be born in the country they currently live in, on account of their skin colour.
The National Film Board's Citizen Shift has a series on Racial Justice. These kinds of microaggressions come up in the vast majority of them. Our favourites: Slip of the Tongue, Cute but Confused, and What Are You Anyways?. Additionally, the Work for All collection on the NFB offers great insight into institutionalized micro aggressions in Canada.
Furthermore, Lily on 8Asians has a great post on micro-aggressions, as well as a handy table.
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