When Even An Elite College Degree Won’T Protect You, A Los Angeles Discrimination Attorney Will

If you went to college, you probably remember the admissions process and, in particular, the anxiety that can accompany the pressure to get into one of the more elite establishments. If you come from an Asian-American background, statistics suggest that this pressure was more applicable to you than to anyone else, as Asian-Americans have been found to believe, more so than any other group, that studying at an elite college is essential for getting ahead. If it’s Ivy League, even better, right?

According to recent research, Asian-Americans tend to measure their success through achievements such as being high school valedictorian, attending one of the best colleges, and securing a career in a prestigious field such as law, medicine, or science. The same study revealed that Asian-Americans, in general, would prefer to be an average student at a top 10 university, than an outstanding one at a top 100 university. The most popular reason given for this striving for prestige is simple – the participants believed that this sense of belonging to an elite would shield them from discrimination going forward.

However, no matter how outstanding your academic and career achievements may be, those in minority groups appear to be just as susceptible to workplace discrimination.

When the Elite Aren’t Really the Elite

While Asian-Americans are used as an example in the above discussion, that is purely down to available data, and discrimination against all minority groups remains a problem. In fact, it appears that this attitude towards prestigious universities is misplaced anyway, as only a small proportion of successful CEOs have attended an Ivy League school.

Preferences about education aside, workplace discrimination is the real issue here. Just as your race, skin color, religion, age, and other characteristics should not make you a target for discriminatory behavior, nor should your alma mater protect you from it. The answer is to tackle this discrimination, not attempt to appease those who are likely to behave in such a way.

If you have experienced discriminatory behavior of any kind, you will be familiar with the impact it can have on both your working and private lives. You do not need to accept this behavior and, if your employer is unable or unwilling to tackle the problem, a Los Angeles discrimination attorney from The Kaufman Law Firm is ready to act on your behalf.

Tackling Racial Discrimination in the Workplace

Racial discrimination in the workplace can take two forms:

• Disparate treatment, or deliberately treating people differently because of their race. Racial slurs, derogatory remarks, and other behavior creating a hostile working environment fall into this category
• Disparate impact, or excluding those who belong to a certain class or race from holding certain jobs or being promoted. This includes company policies that adversely impact a certain race or other minority groups.

Handling discrimination cases since 1993 means that the legal team at The Kaufman Law Group is highly-qualified to act on your behalf. To schedule an initial consultation, and find out exactly how a Los Angeles discrimination attorney could help you, call us today on 310-981-3404.