Ethnic and Racial Discrimination against Immigrants

Ali Soylu^1,2, Tom A. Buchanan^1
(1. Cameron University, USA; 2. ipek Universitesi, Çankaya, Ankara, 06550, Turkey)

Abstract: This paper examines the ethnic and racial discrimination faced by immigrants in workplace. The challenges immigrants face on and off the workplace due to their status, their amount of legal protection, and their knowledge of the work and legal system are illustrated. Although there have been many debates surrounding U.S. immigration policies concerning the assertion that natives lose jobs to immigrants, there is also an ignored side of this coin that shows that employers sometimes prefer to hire immigrants mainly because of the possibility of exploiting them. This is an ethical issue that immigrants face when entering the labor market. Apart from being an immigrant in general, some racial issues also come into play in the labor market. These issues became heightened in the workplace particularly as a backlash after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Integration into the labor market as an immigrant became even more complex and challenging for minority races. This study explores complexities and provides a comprehensive insight into the world of immigrants who are vulnerable and often victims of racial and ethical discrimination in workplace.

Key words: ethnic and racial discrimination; foreign workers; workplace; U.S. immigration policy

JEL codes: J71, J61, J83, K31, K37