Hispanic National Origin Discrimination

The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (”EEOC”) announced in a September 14, 2009 Press Release at http://www.eeoc.gov/press/9-14-09b.html that the agency filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against a Japanese specialty supermarket alleging that the company discriminated against Hispanic employees by paying them less than non-Hispanic workers, almost all of whom were Asian.  According to the EEOC Press Release, attorneys for the EEOC charge in the lawsuit that the Japanese specialty supermarket has engaged in a pattern or practice of underpaying Hispanics because of their national origin since at least 2005.  National origin discrimination violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and, in this regard, the EEOC is a federal agency which enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including national origin discrimination.  Agency attorneys seek injunctive relief in the lawsuit as well as back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for the Hispanic discrimination victims.