The migration of Latinos into the United States has been one of the most newsworthy (not to mention heartbreaking) stories of recent years, and considerable attention has subsequently been given to the fortunes and employment prospects of Latino migrants in the US.  Spain is also an incredibly popular migratory destination, yet much less is known about the fortunes of migrants there, especially in the context of any discrimination they might suffer from.

New research attempts to explore both whether Latino migrants in Spain and the US experience different levels of discrimination, and what impact this has on their overall job prospects.  The study involved sending a few thousand job applications in both countries, with the applications to very real jobs, but from fictitious applicants.  Half of the applicants were from majority groups (ie Americans in the US and Spaniards in Spain), with the remaining half from Latino applicants.

The responses of employers was then measured, whether in terms of a call back for an interview or a rejection.  The data shows that Latino men only seemed to be discriminated against in the United States, where their chances of receiving a successful reply were 13% lower than their white male counterparts.  In Spain, the situation was different, with Latino women suffering a similar fall in their prospects against Spanish women.

Unique stereotypes

The findings highlight how ethnic minority stereotypes tend to differ for each country.  In the US for instance, Latino men are often portrayed by the media as illegal immigrants who behave in an aggressive manner.  In Spain, Latinas are often stereotyped as being unskilled workers who often migrate to the care sector.

The authors believe that these ethnic and gender stereotypes are central to the discrimination Latino men and women suffer in the US and Spain respectively.  The data showed that attempts to counter these stereotypes can be effective, such as when men emphasize their friendly personalities or ability to cooperate, or women highlight their competence and productivity.  This was found to reduce the level of discrimination experienced by the Latino applicants.

It’s perhaps worth re-emphasizing the importance of understanding national stereotypes however, as emphasizing one’s caring side actually resulted in lower callback rates for both men and women in Spain, with it remaining incredibly difficult for Latino women to break into medium and high skilled jobs in Spain due to the strong perception of them as primarily low-skilled people.

Hopefully by better understanding the unique stereotypes people face, the better people can seek to overcome them.