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How many people have been discriminated against due to racism?

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"About one in five Black adults (18%) and about one in ten Hispanic (11%), Asian (10%) and AIAN (12%) adults say they have been treated unfairly or with disrespect by a health care provider in the past three years because of their race or ethnic background compared with 3% of White adults." This shows that people of color will continue to feel as if they don't fit in in America due to the lack of help they get. People of color are denied important factors in their lives just because of the judgment of their skin color. We need to take action in order to ensure the safety of all Americans. Instead of stereotyping and discriminating against different races, we should provide them with the care everyone needs in their lives.

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Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Health - Findings - 10257 | KFF

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Key Takeaways Reflecting ongoing residential segregation patterns rooted in contemporary and historic policies, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and AIAN adults feel less safe in their homes and neighborhoods and experience higher rates of police mistreatment compared to White adults. Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) adults are significantly less likely than White…More

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I am a woman of color and I have faced racism many times in my life. I have also seen racism happen to people around me, such as my loved ones or classmates. It's hard to see discrimination happen due to someone's skin color. It is an unfair act that is sadly still practiced and prominent to this day despite the amount of fighting people of color have done for their equality.

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"They’d make fun of my accent and say disparaging things about Turkish people, Muslims and migrants. I ended up quitting the job, but I didn’t want anyone else to go through that. A friend put me in touch with the Commission and they arranged a meeting with the owner of the bar. He was pretty defensive and a bit reluctant to admit fault, but he agreed to pay me a small amount of compensation and provide a written reference for me.” In other words, this piece of evidence reveals how certain people react when being called out for their cruel actions. The way to owner tried to deny his wrongdoings shows that it's easier to hate on someone who doesn't stand up for themselves. This situation can affect many Muslims or Turkish people in the workplace because of stereotypes and racism. This issue should be taken seriously because such discrimination can happen behind the scenes when no one speaks up about it.

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Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

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"I'm proud of my Turkish heritage, and I've really only experienced racism a couple of times in my life.

I had this one terrible job in a restaurant. I liked the hours, because I was still studying, but it wasn't a great place to work. The owner could be quite racist - sometimes I'd hear him talk about customers and be pretty disgusted. He wasn't particularly friendly to me, but I just got on with the job.

One day, he called me into a meeting and accused me of stealing. I denied it and asked what evidence he had. I'm a hard worker and I just wouldn't do something like that. He told me my shifts would be suspended while he 'investigated' further. It wasn't clear how he intended to do this, but it meant I lost a week's worth of shifts. I spoke to a couple of the other staff, all Aussies, and none of them had to meet with him like that.

When I did come back, I could tell he'd talked about me to the other staff. I felt like I was on the outer, and a couple of them were overtly hostile. They'd make fun of my accent and say disparaging things about Turkish people, Muslims and migrants.

I ended up quitting the job, but I didn't want anyone else to go through that. A friend put me in touch with the Commission and they arranged a meeting with the owner of the bar. He was pretty defensive and a bit reluctant to admit fault, but he agreed to pay me a small amount of compensation and provide a written reference for me."
The incidents portrayed in this story are inspired by real complaints received by the Commission, but all names and other identifying details have been changed.
How does the law apply to Nina's situation?

In Victoria, it's against the law for you to be discriminated against, harassed or bullied because of your race.

Under the Equal Opportunity Act, race includes colour, descent or ancestry, nationality or ethnic background, or any characteristics people might associate with a particular race. The Act applies to many different parts of public life, including accommodation, provision of goods and services, and employment.

You can make a complaint

Get help from us.

You can make a complaint to us if you think you have experienced:

If you wish, someone else can make a complaint for you. Find out how we help people resolve complaints.

We can also give you information about your rights.

More information

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Nina describes being discriminated against and harassed at work because of her race.

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How many laws are there to protect people of color?

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"Under the laws enforced by EEOC, it is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person's race, color, religion, sex (including transgender status, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against a person because he or she complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit."

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What cases have occurred due to racism?

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"A food processing company requires applicants who appear or sound foreign to show work authorization documents before allowing them to complete an employment application while native born Caucasian applicants are not required to show any documents before completing employment applications. Moreover, the documents of the ethnic employees are more closely scrutinized and more often rejected than the same types of documents shown by native born Caucasian employees."

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Issued October 2000 INTRODUCTION

Federal laws prohibit discrimination based on a person's national origin, race, color, religion, disability, sex, and familial status. Laws prohibiting national origin discrimination make it illegal to discriminate because of a person's birthplace, ancestry, culture or language. This means people cannot be denied equal opportunity because they or their family are from another country, because they have a name or accent associated with a national origin group, because they participate in certain customs associated with a national origin group, or because they are married to or associate with people of a certain national origin.

The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division is concerned that national origin discrimination may go unreported in the United States because victims of discrimination do not know their legal rights, or may be afraid to complain to the government. To address this problem, the Civil Rights Division has established a National Origin Working Group to help citizens and immigrants better understand and exercise their legal rights. If you think you, or someone you know, has been discriminated against because of national origin and want to learn more about exercising your legal rights, you should read this brochure.

This brochure explains the laws prohibiting national origin discrimination and provides some examples. You may find additional information about the Civil Rights Division and its Sections on the internet at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt. You may contact the Division to report complaints of discrimination as explained below.

KNOWING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice enforces federal laws that prohibit discrimination in:

The Division also enforces laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, protects the civil rights of persons who are institutionalized in certain state or local facilities, and prosecutes crimes that are motivated by a crime victim's race, color, or national origin.

In some cases, the Division may only become involved if there is a "pattern or practice" of discrimination. A "pattern or practice" generally means that there is more than a single incident of discrimination, and that there is a policy or repeated conduct that is discriminatory.

CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS OF CIVIL RIGHTS

* A young man of South Asian descent is assaulted as he leaves a concert at a nightclub. The assailant, a member of a skinhead group, yells racial epithets as he beats the victim unconscious in the club's parking lot with fists and a pipe.

* At Ku Klux Klan meetings, a Klansman tells other members that Mexicans and Puerto Ricans should go "back where they came from." They burn a cross in the front yard of a young Hispanic couple in order to frighten them and force them to leave the neighborhood. Before burning the cross, the defendant displays a gun and gives one of his friends another gun in case the victims try to stop them.

* An American company recruits workers in a small Mexican town, promising them good work at high pay. The company smuggles the Mexicans to the United States in an empty tanker truck. When they finally arrive in the U.S., the workers are threatened, told that if they attempt to leave their factory they will be killed.

The Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division prosecutes people who are accused of using force or violence to interfere with a person's federally protected rights because of that person's national origin. These rights include areas such as housing, employment, education, or use of public facilities. You can reach the Criminal Section at (202) 514-3204 or write to:

DISABILITY RIGHTS

* An HMO that enrolls Medicaid patients tells a Mexican American woman with cerebral palsy to come back another day for an appointment while it provides immediate assistance to others.

This example may be a violation of federal laws that prohibit discrimination because of disability as well as laws that prohibit discrimination because of national origin. If you believe you have been discriminated against because you have a disability you may contact the Disability Rights Section at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY). You may also write to:

* A child has difficulty speaking English, but her school does not provide her with the necessary assistance to help her learn English and other subjects.

* A majority Haitian school does not offer honors classes. Other schools in the district that do not have many Haitian students offer both honors and advanced placement courses.

These examples may be violations of federal law, which prohibits discrimination in education because of a person's national origin. The Division's Educational Opportunities Section enforces these laws in elementary and secondary schools as well as public colleges and universities. The Education Section's work addresses discrimination in all aspects of education, including assignment of students to schools and classes, transportation of students, hiring and placement of faculty and administrators, distribution of school resources, and provision of educational programs that assist limited English speaking students in learning English.

To file a complaint or for more information, contact the Education Section at (202) 514-4092, or write to:

EMPLOYMENT

* A transit worker's supervisor makes frequent racial epithets against the worker because his family is from Iran. Last week, the boss put up a fake sign on the bulletin board telling everyone not to trust the worker because he is a terrorist.

* A woman who immigrated from Russia applies for a job as an accountant. The employer turns her down because she speaks with an accent even though she is able to perform the job requirements.

* A food processing company requires applicants who appear or sound foreign to show work authorization documents before allowing them to complete an employment application while native born Caucasian applicants are not required to show any documents before completing employment applications. Moreover, the documents of the ethnic employees are more closely scrutinized and more often rejected than the same types of documents shown by native born Caucasian employees.

These examples may be violations of the law that prohibits discrimination against an employee or job applicant because of his or her national origin. This means an employer cannot discipline, harass, fire, refuse to hire or promote a person because of his or her national origin.

If you believe an employer, labor organization or employment agency has discriminated against you because of your national origin, contact:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(800) 669-4000
(Employers with 15 or more employees)
Office of Special Counsel
(800) 255-7688
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, 1425
Washington, D.C. 20530
(Employers with 4 to 14 employees)
Employment Litigation Section
(202) 514-3831
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Employment Litigation Section, PHB
Washington, D.C. 20530
(State or local government employer with a pattern or practice of illegal discrimination)

In addition, an employer may violate federal law by requiring specific work authorization documents, such as a green card, or rejecting such documents only from applicants of certain national origins. For more information or to file a charge, contact the Division's Office of Special Counsel at the above address or toll-free number.

* A Native Hawaiian family is looking for an apartment. They are told by the rental agent that no apartments are available, even though apartments are available and are shown to white applicants.

* A realtor shows a Latino family houses only in Latino neighborhoods and refuses to show the family houses in white neighborhoods.

These examples may be violations of the federal Fair Housing Act. That law prohibits discrimination because of national origin, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or familial status (presence of children under 18) in housing. Individual complaints of discrimination may be reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at (800) 669-9777. If you believe there is a pattern or practice of discrimination, contact the Division's Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (202) 514-4713.

* A Latina woman is charged a higher interest rate and fees than white male customers who have similar financial histories and apply for the same type of loan.

This example may be a violation of federal laws that prohibit discrimination in lending because of national origin, race, color, sex, religion, disability and marital status or because any of a person's income comes from public assistance. If you believe you have been denied a loan because of your national origin or other protected reason, you may ask the lender for an explanation in writing of why your application was denied.

If the loan is for a home mortgage, home improvement, or other housing-related reasons, you may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development at (800) 669-9777. If the loan is for purposes other than housing (such as a car loan), you may file a complaint either with the Division's Housing and Civil Enforcement Section or with the lender's regulatory agency. If your experience was part of a pattern or practice of discrimination you may also call the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (202) 514-4713, to obtain more information about your rights or to file a complaint.

PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS

* In a restaurant, a group of Asian Americans waits for over an hour to be served, while white and Latino customers receive prompt service.

* Haitian American visitors to a hotel are told they must pay in cash rather than by credit card, are charged higher rates than other customers, and are not provided with the same amenities, such as towels and soap.

These examples may be violations of federal laws that prohibit discrimination because of national origin, race, color, or religion in places of public accommodation. Public accommodations include hotels, restaurants, and places of entertainment. If you believe you have been denied access to or equal enjoyment of a public accommodation where there is a pattern or practice of discrimination, contact the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (202) 514-4713. You may also write to:

POLICE MISCONDUCT

* Police officers constantly pull over cars driven by Latinos, for certain traffic violations, but rarely pull over white drivers for the same violations.

* A police officer questioning a man of Vietnamese origin on the street gets angry when the man is unable to answer his questions because he does not speak English. The Officer arrests the man for disorderly conduct.

These examples may be violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. They may also be violations of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. That law prohibits discrimination because of national origin, race, color, religion, or sex by a police department that gets federal funds through the U.S. Department of Justice. They may also violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by law enforcement agencies that receive any federal financial assistance, including asset forfeiture property.

Complaints of individual discrimination can be filed with the Coordination and Review Section at

or contact the Coordination and Review Section at 1-888-848-5306.

Complaints of individual discrimination may also be filed with the Office of Justice Programs at Office for Civil Rights, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 20531, or contact Office of Justice Programs at (202) 307-0690.

The Special Litigation Section investigates and litigates complaints that a police department has a pattern or practice of discriminating on the basis of national origin. To file a complaint, contact the Special Litigation Section at (202) 514-6255 or write to:

CIVIL RIGHTS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS

* A jail will not translate disciplinary hearings for detainees who do not speak English.

* A state's psychiatric hospital has no means of providing treatment for people who do not speak English.

These examples may be violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. The Special Litigation Section enforces the constitutional rights of people held in state or local government institutions, such as prisons, jails, juvenile correctional facilities, mental health facilities, developmental disability or mental retardation facilities, and nursing homes. If you are a resident of any such facility and you believe there is a pattern or practice of discrimination based on your national origin, contact the Special Litigation Section at (202) 514-6255. You may also write to:

FEDERALLY ASSISTED PROGRAMS

* A local social services agency does not provide information or job training in Korean even though one quarter of local residents speak only Korean.

* A hospital near the Texas/Mexico border dresses its security officers in clothes that look like INS uniforms to scare Latinos away from the emergency room. Latino patients are told to bring their own translators before they can see a doctor.

These examples may be violations of federal laws that prohibit discrimination because of national origin, race or color by recipients of federal funds. If you believe you have been discriminated against by a state or local government agency or an organization that receives funds from the federal government, you may file a complaint with the Division's Coordination and Review Section at (888) 848-5306. You may also write to:

The Coordination and Review Section will refer the complaint to the federal funding agency that is primarily responsible for enforcing nondiscrimination prohibitions applicable to its recipients.

* Despite requests from voters in a large Spanish-speaking community, election officials refuse to provide election materials, including registration forms and sample ballots, in Spanish or to allow Spanish speakers to bring translators into the voting booth.

* A polling official requires a dark-skinned voter, who speaks with a foreign accent and has an unfamiliar last name, to provide proof of American citizenship, but does not require proof of citizenship from white voters.

The election officials' conduct may violate the federal laws prohibiting voting discrimination. The Voting Rights Acts do not specifically prohibit national origin discrimination. However, provisions of the Acts make it illegal to limit or deny the right to vote of any citizen not only because of race or color, but also because of membership in a language minority group. In addition, the Acts also require in certain jurisdictions that election materials and assistance be provided in languages other than English.

Additionally, Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act, allows voters, who need help because of blindness, disability or because they cannot read or write, to bring someone (other than an employer or union representative) to help. This means that a voter who needs help reading the ballot in English can bring a friend or family member to translate. In some places, election officials must provide information, such as voter registration and the ballot, in certain language(s) other than English. This can include interpreters to help voters vote.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against in voting or denied assistance in casting your ballot, you may contact the Division's Voting Section at (800) 253-3931. You may also write to:

Note: For persons with disabilities, this document will be available in large print, audio tape, computer disc, and braille.

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Federal Protections Against National Origin Discrimination

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Issued October 2000 INTRODUCTION Federal laws prohibit discrimination based on a person's national origin, race, color, religion, disability, sex, and familial status. Laws prohibiting national origin discrimination make it illegal to discriminate because of a person's birthplace, ancestry, culture or language.

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The overlooked actions of racism are causing anger in American citizens. Their voices are not being heard even though we are promised that our voices won't go unnoticed. This act goes against our freedom of speech and shows how biased the government can be. The American government should start listening to its citizens rather than overlooking the situation.

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"Recently, one of our regular venues changed hands, and the new owners said they wouldn’t be booking us anymore. I asked why, and the new owner said that our gigs attracted too many people from the African community and that he was worried about how their other patrons felt. I asked him if he was kidding. He said he wasn’t." This shows that people of color are sometimes blamed for an event that they have no control over. Instead of being open-minded to all the customers they had, the manager lashed out at Abeeku, putting him and many other African Americans at risk when in public. There truly isn't any way to back up the manager, this act was just pure racism. This reveals that humans in general will just act on sheer hatred with no logic behind their actions.

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Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

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Abeeku’s story about race discrimination

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A personal story about race discrimination in good and services.

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In order to ensure justice and equality for those who have been racially discriminated against, the Executive branch of America should enforce equal opportunities and treatment to all races rather than catering to one specific race. Opportunities such as equal job employment and education. Treatment such as equal healthcare access and treatment in work.

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"The Department of Justice enforces federal hate crimes laws that cover certain crimes committed on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Congress passed the first federal hate crime statutes in 1968: one prohibiting violent interference with housing rights (42 U.S.C. § 3631), and another prohibiting violent interference with several enumerated rights, including voting and employment activities (18 U.S.C. § 245)." This proves that humans have gone so far with their actions to the point where the government had to get involved to protect their citizens. Even though, as citizens, we're supposed to work together to create a strong and united nation. The laws made reveal that the safety of many people of color is more in danger compared to others. It also reveals the harsh side humans show when filled with hatred. If our country was truly "united", these laws wouldn't have had to be made in the first place.

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The Department of Justice enforces federal hate crimes laws that cover certain crimes committed on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. The Department of Justice began prosecuting federal hate crimes cases after the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

This page provides information on federal hate crimes laws; federal hate crimes policies; state laws, codes, and statutes; and a table that indicates which of the bias categories included in federal hate crimes laws are included in each state's laws.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, 18 U.S.C. § 249

The Shepard Byrd Act is the first statute allowing federal criminal prosecution of hate crimes motivated by the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The Act makes it a federal crime to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to do so using a dangerous weapon, because of the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, or national origin. The Act also covers crimes committed because of the actual or perceived religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability of any person, if the crime affected interstate or foreign commerce or occurred within federal special maritime or territorial jurisdiction.

Criminal Interference with Right to Fair Housing, 42 U.S.C. § 3631

This statute makes it a crime to use or threaten to use force to interfere with housing rights because of the victim's race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.

Damage to Religious Property, Church Arson Prevention Act, 18 U.S.C. § 247

This statute prohibits the intentional defacement, damage, or destruction of religious real property because of the religious nature of the property, where the crime affects interstate or foreign commerce, or because of the race, color, or ethnic characteristics of the people associated with the property. The statute also criminalizes the intentional obstruction by force, or threat of force of any person in the enjoyment of that person's free exercise of religious beliefs.

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, 34 U.S.C. § 30501

This statute directs the Department of Justice to speed up the review of hate crimes for bringing charges. The Department must also work to improve the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents in light of the rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet this goal, the law requires the Department to reach out to law enforcement agencies and to provide them with helpful tools and resources for reporting, enforcing, and preventing hate crimes.

The Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act of 2021 (Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act), 34 U.S.C. § 30507

This statute, an amendment to the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, provides new grants, training, and other forms of assistance to help state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies with hate crime reporting, prioritizing agencies that have a history of not reporting any hate crimes. The law also directs the Department of Justice to report back to Congress on its efforts to improve hate crime reporting.

Violent Interference with Federally Protected Rights, 18 U.S.C. § 245

This statute makes it a crime to use or threaten to use force to willfully interfere with a person's participation in a federally protected activity because of race, color, religion, or national origin. Federally protected activities include public education, employment, jury service, travel, or the enjoyment of public accommodations. Under this statute, it is also a crime to use or threaten to use force against those who are assisting and supporting others in participating in these federally protected activities.

Conspiracy Against Rights, 18 U.S.C. § 241

This statute makes it a crime to use or threaten to use force to willfully interfere with a person's participation in a federally protected activity because of race, color, religion, or national origin. Federally protected activities include public education, employment, jury service, travel, or the enjoyment of public accommodations. Under this statute, it is also a crime to use or threaten to use force against those who are assisting and supporting others in participating in these federally protected activities.

Attorney General Memorandum on Improving the Department's Efforts to Combat Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents - May 27, 2021

The Attorney General's memorandum directs the Department of Justice to perform the tasks identified in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The goal of the memorandum is to improve hate crime and hate incident reporting, increase law enforcement training and coordination, engage in community outreach, and look at whether existing non-criminal, civil enforcement statutes can address hate incidents that may not rise to the level of prosecutable hate crimes. ( https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1399221/download).

Presidential Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States - January 26, 2021

As it relates to hate crimes, this January 26th Presidential Memorandum ordered the Attorney General to explore opportunities to support the efforts of State and local agencies, as well as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and community-based organizations, to prevent discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hate crimes against AAPI individuals, and to expand collection of data and public reporting of hate incidents against such individuals. ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/26/memorandum-condemning-and-combating-racism-xenophobia-and-intolerance-against-asian-americans-and-pacific-islanders-in-the-united-states)

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Additional Actions to Respond to Anti-Asian Violence, Xenophobia and Bias - March 30, 2021

This Fact Sheet supplements the President's January Memorandum, announcing additional actions to respond to the increase in acts of anti-Asian violence. Related to hate crimes, the Fact Sheet announces several actions taken by the Department of Justice to address the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents. ( https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-additional-actions-to-respond-to-anti-asian-violence-xenophobia-and-bias)

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Learn about the laws and statutes for federal and state hate crimes. Find out which states have hate crime data collection regulations and hate crime laws.

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This chart shows the major divide in employment between races. This supports the idea that white men and women have it easier in the workforce. Many people of color are either denied jobs or have to go through a difficult process when applying for one. This act needs to be stopped as it discriminates against many people of color and puts them at risk when it comes to financial issues.