The latinos in the United States suffer discrimination even from their own peers, and those with darker skin or who were born outside the country are more likely to be treated unfairly, says a study released Monday.
The survey of Pew Research Centerconducted in March 2021, shows that 27% of Latinos say they have experienced discrimination from a peer, compared to 31% who say they have suffered from it from someone not Latino.
In both cases, non-white Latinos are more likely to be discriminated against.
41% of dark-skinned Latinos say they have been discriminated against by another Latino, while 25% with lighter skin say the same. The percentages are similar in case of discrimination by a non-Latino (42% and 29%, respectively).
Latinos in the United States also report discrimination based on their place of birth.
According to the survey, natives of Puerto Rico, a Spanish-speaking US territory, as well as Latinos born outside the United States, are more likely to say that were discriminated against by another Latino than those born in the 50 states or the federal capital (32% vs. 23%). The figures do not vary much when the discriminatory treatment comes from a non-Latino (34% vs. 27%).
The Pew survey also shows that Hispanics make racist comments or jokes about their peers. 48% of Hispanics say they have often (13%) or sometimes (35%) heard family or friends make this type of joke about other Hispanics.
Younger Latinos, ages 18-29, are more likely than Latinos ages 50 and older to say they listen to these racist comments.
On the other hand, 40% of Latinos born in Puerto Rico or abroad say that discrimination based on skin color or race is almost the same in their place of origin as in the United States.
But nearly half of Hispanics living in the United States (48%) say that discrimination based on race or skin color It is a very big problem in this country.says Pew.
The study reveals that, in 2021, 23% of Latino Spanish-speakers say have been criticized for speaking Spanish in public, and 20% of all Latinos say they have been insulted in the last 12 months.
Hispanics in the United States reached 62.1 million in 2020, equivalent to 19% of the total population. In that year’s census, the number of Latinos who identified as only white was 12.6 million.
In the United States, Latinos are those from Latin American countries colonized by Spain or Portugal, and Hispanics are those who have roots in Spain or in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The Census Bureau and other entities, however, use the terms synonymously.