Reports indicate that the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are not as open to African-American workers as one would hope, with many of them reporting workplace discrimination.
For instance, when asked if they had faced racial discrimination on the job or discrimination based on their ethnicity, just 13 percent of white workers in this field said that it had happened to them. A full 62 percent of African-American workers made the same claim. That’s a drastically higher rate, and no ethnicity claimed to see discrimination as often.
Workers were then asked if the discrimination they faced was serious enough that it was “harder to succeed” professionally. While only 5 percent of white workers made this claim, it was true for 40 percent of African-American workers.
Specifically, many workers complained that others did not treat them as competent professionals based on their race. This only happened to a mere 3 percent of white workers, but it happened to nearly half (45 percent) of all African-American workers. It also happened to 23 percent of Hispanic workers and 20 percent of Asian workers.
Reports like this show that, despite the potential for excellent careers in the STEM fields, racial discrimination means that not everyone has the same opportunity. Even with modern labor laws that are designed to protect workers, these things still happen.
Do you feel like you have faced discrimination and unfair treatment based on your race or ethnicity, no matter what field you work in? If so, make sure that you know all of the legal options at your disposal.