Microaggressions – subtle forms of discrimination encompassing hidden insults, dismissive behaviors, invalidations, and avoidance tactics – have garnered significant attention for their pervasive consequences on marginalized groups. Although seemingly innocuous, these covert manifestations of bias perpetuate structural inequalities and have been found to be detrimental to the mental health of ethnic minority individuals, women, and intersectional populations, such as Black women. Yet, very little research has been conducted to understand the role of microaggressions in the lives of first-generation immigrants, and the experiences of first-generation immigrant women have been especially overlooked. Nonetheless, scholars have emphasized the need for examining migration as a gendered phenomenon, shaped by the intersection of multiple systems of power and oppression, including racism, sexism, and colonialism. Furthermore, existing research on microaggressions has predominantly originated from the U.S.-American context, while in European contexts – often characterized by a long colonial history – it is still underdeveloped. To address these gaps, the present study employed a post-colonial intersectional approach to qualitatively investigate the experiences of immigrant women living in Portugal. Specifically, we zoom in on the experiences of 38 Brazilian women who participated in nine focus group interviews. Through thematic analysis, we identified several key themes related to the complex intersectional nature of their discrimination experiences: a) Sexual objectification and hyper-sexualization, b) Assumptions of promiscuity, c) Exotization, d) Colorism, attractiveness, and beauty standards, e) Sexual microassaults. These themes provide important insights into the social representations of Brazilian women as “colonized bodies”, often conveyed through deceptively benign messages and socially normalized behaviors. Future research should investigate whether these results are applicable to immigrant women in other European post-colonial countries.

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microaggressions,intersectionality,immigrant women,Brazil,Portugal