Immigrant Harassment

The workplace is supposedly a place that will stimulate the physical and mental capabilities of skilled individuals. It is where people can work together and be productive. A workplace environment should generally be professional and friendly for everyone. Finally, all members of the workforce should be treated equally and be characterized based on their tasks, skills, and qualifications only. Still, harassment occurs based on the other background and characteristics of an employee. One example of such is immigrant harassment, or the harassment of an employee based on his or her national origin.

Definition

An immigrant is an individual who migrated from his or her ancestral country to live and work in a foreign land. Immigrant harassment basically occurs when fellow workers or superiors commit misconducts that are largely based on the employee's characteristics and background as an immigrant. Though not entirely similar, immigrant harassment may also be linked with racial discrimination. One of the most common examples of immigrant harassment is when a fellow worker makes fun of the immigrant employee’s “funny accent.” Another example is when the employee is being asked to do, as a tease, something that is traditionally associated with his or her country of origin. If the workplace has no specific dress code, an employer cannot prohibit the immigrant employee to wear ethnic dresses at work.

Dealing with immigrant harassment

All immigrants are generally protected by the laws of the country where they are residing, either temporarily or permanently. It is generally prohibited by the law to harass or discriminate people based on their origin. Immigrants should review their rights and privileges and exercise them even in the workplace.