I represent employees with national origin discrimination claims. National origin discrimination means treating someone less favorably because he/she comes from a particular place, because of his/her ethnicity or accent, or because it is believed that he/she has a particular ethnic background. Such discrimination is not based on the accuracy of the ethnic information about the employee, but rather the belief of the person perpetrating the unequal treatment. Thus, if an employee is not from Puerto Rico, but is treated unfairly because an employer or fellow employee thinks he/she is from Puerto Rico, national origin discrimination is occurring.
Some examples of illegal national origin discrimination either by an employer or tolerated by an employer against an employee or job applicant are unequal treatment based on:
- marriage to, or association with, persons of a national origin group
- membership in, association with, or attendance or participation in schools, churches, temples or mosques generally associated with a national origin group
- a family name associated with a national origin group.
If you believe that you are experiencing discrimination at work because of your national origin, you should be aware that laws exist to protect you from unlawful national origin discrimination. I would be pleased to meet and discuss your concerns with you. There is no charge for the initial consultation.