Story at a glance
- A new study from the Pew Research Center found that Latinos suffer discrimination from other Latinos and non-Latinos at almost the same rate.
- The study findings show that 31 percent of Latinos experience discrimination from non-Latinos, while a quarter said they have suffered discrimination from other Latinos.
- Darker-skinned Latinos experienced more discrimination from Latinos and non-Latinos alike compared to lighter-skinned Latinos, the study found.
Americans who identify as Latino report being subjected to discrimination or unfair treatment from other Latinos and non-Latinos at almost equal rates, a new study from the Pew Research Center found.
The study released Monday hashes out the findings of phone and mail surveys sent out to 3,375 Hispanic adults in the United States in March of last year.
As a result, Pew researchers found that about a quarter of respondents reported being subjected to discrimination by fellow Latinos and that roughly a third, 31 percent, said they experienced discrimination from a non-Latino.
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But U.S.-born Latinos reported experiencing discrimination at lower rates than their foreign-born counterparts, the study also found.
The types of discrimination that Latinos reported suffering varied. Just under a quarter of Spanish-speaking respondents said they had been criticized for speaking Spanish in public, and 20 percent of respondents said they had been called an offensive name in the year before the survey. In some instances, Latinos reported being on the receiving end of racially insensitive remarks or jokes from other Latinos, researchers noted.
“Latinos are very diverse in the composition and, their racial makeup their origin makeup, said Pew Research Center Senior Researcher Ana Gonzalez-Barrera. “Discrimination exists in Latin America, there is discrimination based on race and based on skin-color just like in the U.S. So the dynamic among Latinos resembles the dynamic of the home country many times.”
And skin-color plays a role in the discrimination Latinos experience or witness.
About 41 percent of Latinos with a darker skin color said they experienced discrimination or unfair treatment by another Latino, while only 25 percent of Latinos with lighter skin said the same, according to the report.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of Latinos with darker skin said they experienced unfair treatment or discrimination by someone who was not Latino while only 29 percent of Latinos with lighter skin said they had experienced discrimination from a non-Latino.
Country of origin also influenced whether a Latino in the United States suffered discrimination, report findings show.
Just over 30 percent of Latinos born in Puerto Rico or outside of the U.S. said they experienced discrimination or unfair treatment from another Latino while only 23 percent of Latinos born in one of the 50 states said the same, researchers found.
Pew researchers also found that a large number of Latinos are hearing racist or racially insensitive comments about fellow Latinos and non-Latinos in the home.
According to the report, almost half of respondents reported hearing racist or racially insensitive comments frequently or sometimes from Latino friends and family about other Latinos.
Meanwhile, 45 percent of respondents said they heard Latino family and friends make racially insensitive comments often or sometimes about non-Latinos.
Pew researchers found that younger Latinos, 29 or younger, who have some college experience are more likely to report hearing these comments compared to Latinos ages 50 and up and those with less education.
“We are not really sure why that is,” said Gonzalez-Barrera. “It’s possible that some of them are being exposed to different situations when they go to college and also they are more likely to identify what is happening and verbalize it.”
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