Immigrants Are Protected
From Discrimination

Do you know someone or are you an immigrant who has proper work authorization but finds that prospective employers turn you away because you look foreign? Are you a small-business employer who is unsure of which documents are acceptable for meeting legal work requirements? Did you know that a green card is only one of several documents acceptable for showing legal work status?

Employment Discrimination Education Services

The U.S. government's Office of Special Counsel can help you deal with these situations. Just call 1-800-255-7688. Or, you can speak with the staff at Refugee and Immigration Services which has received a grant from the Office of Special Counsel to conduct an immigration-related employment discrimination public education campaign in the Richmond Metro, Hampton Roads, and Roanoke Valley areas in Virginia. You can reach Refugee and Immigration Services (RIS) by calling (804) 355-4559 in Richmond, (757) 247-3600 in Hampton, or (540) 342-7561 in Roanoke.

Many immigrants are discriminated against in the workplace due to their citizenship status or national origin or because they sound or look foreign. Socially and linguistically isolated, these immigrants are frequently unaware of their rights in the United States. Due to either their previous situations as undocumented aliens or negative experiences with authoritarian regimes in their home countries, immigrants often fear the authorities and do not know how to seek redress even when they understand that their rights have been violated. Since the events of September 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq, there are indications of an increase in unlawful discrimination. The Islamic community has dealt with a number of negative stereotypes, making them more even more vulnerable to employment discrimination.

Small business managers are often preoccupied with day-to-day concerns and lack the time, interest, or resources to obtain information regarding their responsibilities under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It is not uncommon, for example, for employers to refuse to hire a refugee who is legally work-authorized because he or she lacks a green card. A green card is only one of several work authorization documents an immigrant may possess. Many go so far as to require that job applicants have U.S. citizenship, although this is illegal, with the exception of certain government-related jobs.

Please call a local RIS office for more information.