National Origin Discrimination

The laws enforced by EEOC prohibit an employer from treating you differently, or less favorably, because you or a friend, parent, or someone else you associate with comes from a particular place, has a particular accent, or appears to have a particular ethnic background, perhaps because of physical characteristics or name.

You are protected from different treatment on the basis of your national origin, regardless of your national origin. It does not matter if you are Mexican, Ukranian, Fillipino, Arab, American Indian or any other nationality. It also does not matter if the ethnic group you belong to is large (such as Hispanics) or small (such as Kurds).

The laws enforced by EEOC also protect you from being harassed at work by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace because of your national origin, accent, or ethnic background.

Finally, the laws enforced by EEOC protect you from being punished or harassed at work because you or someone you closely associate with (for example, a relative or close friend) complains about national origin discrimination. We call this your right to be protected from retaliation.

If you would like more information after reading the frequently asked questions, see EEOC's National Origin Discrimination page.