Asian-American police speak out after being discriminated against

With many different people with different cultures and backgrounds living in America, it’s never been more important to be courteous to one another. Making fun of someone’s accent or heritage simply isn’t acceptable.

When someone does something that is discriminatory or racist, people tend to point it out. They should. That’s what is happening in this case in Los Angeles county. According to the story, the San Gabriel police officers allegedly mocked their colleagues by using mock Asian accents and using discriminatory name-calling.

The lawsuit, which was filed by two Asian-American police officers, states that they were retaliated against and not given assignments after going through discrimination and harassment at work. They claim it was not only colleagues but also management participating in the acts.

They claim that because they are Asian-Americans, they received harsher penalties or discipline than their colleagues, would not receive the same treatment as others in the department and were under more scrutiny than others. The department was taken aback by the allegations, the news reported, and claimed it would do everything it could to address the problems it faces.

The diversity of San Gabriel makes this particularly unusual. Around 60 percent of the population is made up of Asian-Americans. In the police department, though, only around seven people of Asian descent are on the force of approximately 50 officers. While that doesn’t necessarily back up the claim of discrimination, it does show that there could be fewer Asian-Americans being hired despite their willingness to serve.

Discrimination isn’t legal, and there’s no place for it in the American workplace. If you’re discriminated against, speak out. You have the right.

Source: HuffPost, “Asian-American Cops Sue California Police Department Over Discrimination,” Kimberly Yan, Nov. 28, 2017