Latinos in the United States and in Spain: the impact of ethnic group stereotypes on labour market outcomes

Ruta Yemane,Mariña Fernández-Reino

doi:10.1080/1369183x.2019.1622806

Abstract

ABSTRACT This is the first harmonised correspondence study on the recruitment behaviour of employers in the US and in Spain. By comparing the call-back rates of Latino minority and majority group applicants, we measure the labour market discrimination that Latinos experience in these two national contexts. Due to their proximity in terms of culture and language, Latinos are expected to experience less discrimination in Spain than in the US. This is supported by our findings, as the level of discrimination against Latinos in the US is high and statistically significant, while we find no evidence of statistically significant discrimination against Latinos in Spain. In line with research on the intersection between ethnicity and gender in stereotyping, we find gender differences regarding discrimination in both countries, though in opposite directions. While Latino males are more discriminated than Latino females in the US, Latino females experience more discrimination than their male counterparts in Spain, who are not treated differently from Spanish native men. Our results indicate that ethnic group stereotypes are country-specific and different for males and females of the same ethnicity. Moreover, we find partial evidence that ethnic group stereotypes can be counteracted when favourable information on warmth and competence is provided.

Highlights

Latinos are a well-established minority in the US, yet they have increasingly become the target of prejudice and stigmatisation, especially because they are often linked to undocumented immigration (Chávez 2013; Dovidio et al 2010; Flores 2017; Massey, Pren, and Durand 2016)
We estimated all models excluding the Catalonian subsample and find no substantial changes in our estimates (Appendix Figures 1–5). This is the first harmonised field experiment comparing the levels of employment discrimination against Latino men and women in two heterogeneous national settings, and the first field experiment on ethnic employment discrimination against an immigrant minority in Spain
Our study builds on and extends previous research on ethnic discrimination in several important ways: First, we estimated the extent to which employers discriminate against Latinos in Spain and the US, two countries where Latinos are one of the largest ethnic minorities

Summary

Introduction

Latinos are a well-established minority in the US, yet they have increasingly become the target of prejudice and stigmatisation, especially because they are often linked to undocumented immigration (Chávez 2013; Dovidio et al 2010; Flores 2017; Massey, Pren, and Durand 2016). We investigate the extent to which the prevalent stereotypes associated to Latino men and women can be counteracted by including positive information in the application about the warm personality and high competence of candidates. H3a: If employers’ discriminatory behaviours against Latino men are driven by their stereotyping as threatening and aggressive, there should be a decrease in the level of discrimination when information on warmth is included in the application.

Results

Conclusion