A new survey reveals a significant portion of adult U.S. Latinos are experiencing discrimination while living their daily lives. This isn’t groundbreaking news for many in this community, as hate crimes against immigrants and people of color are on the rise due to xenophobic and racist government leaders and policies:
One in three Latinos in the U.S. say they have faced discrimination while applying to jobs, for equal pay, and when being considered for promotions, according to a poll released Wednesday.
Latinos have also experienced similar discrimination while trying to rent a room or apartment as well as purchasing a home, according to the poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
"Additionally, at least one in five Latinos say they or a family member have been treated unfairly by the courts (20 percent) or unfairly stopped or treated by the police (27 percent) because they are Latino," the report said. Nearly 40 percent of respondents said they’ve been on the receiving end of racist slurs, while a quarter of Latinas reported discrimination while accessing medical care.
Around 37 percent of those surveyed said they experienced racial or ethnic slurs and 33 percent have experienced offensive comments or negative assumptions about their race.
Those more likely to report personal discrimination are non-immigrant Latinos and those with a college degree.
The poll found that 25 percent of Latinas report they were discriminated against while at a doctor’s office or health clinic.
Immigrant Latinos experienced discrimination more than twice as often as non-immigrant Latinos. There were also differences based on the kind of neighborhood people resided in.
Already, we’ve seen recent racist policies and attitudes having devastating effects on Latino communities regardless of immigration status, after numerous law enforcement agencies have reported a drop in the number of Latinos reporting when they’ve been the victim of crime. And it’s not just adults, either: bullying against children of color is also on the rise.