Racial and ethnic discrimination in the health care workplace is often subtle. It can also be difficult to determine if there is a viable explanation for a situation that is not based on ethnicity or race. In addition, when discrimination does occur, it is not always intentional. Employers and co-workers may be discriminating and not even realize itoften because of a lack of education.

Read all of the scenarios below and consider whether each is an example of racial or ethnic discrimination or if you think something else is going on.

Scenario 1: An older Asian man is laid off because he's the highest paid in the hospital's cardiology department and possibly also "outdated."

Scenario 2: A pregnant Hawaiian woman is passed over for a promotion to manage all of the urgent care facilities in the Western Division because management thinks she won't be able to travel.

Scenario 3: During a weekly meeting of the predominantly White staff, the shift supervisor announces that a Native American employee will be coming on board the next week.

Scenario 4: Two Hispanic rad techs are told by their supervisor to stop speaking Spanish at work because their conversations are making their English-only-speaking co-workers nervous.

Scenario 5: A supervisor is told to hire a Black candidate to fill an open nursing position even though a Caucasian is more qualified.