Handling discrimination

1 Identify it: you are being discriminated against when a person treats you harmfully based on your personal characteristics such as your nationality, skin color, language, gender, sexual preference, disability, religion or socioeconomic status, among others.

2Remember that discrimination can take many forms: it can be an insult, a physical aggression or unfairly limiting your access to a service or right such as transportation, health, justice, among others.

3If the person who discriminates against you tries to hurt you or cause any damage to your physical integrity, remove yourself from the situation immediately and alert the authorities.

4If the other person does not put you at risk, you can try to put yourself in their shoes: reflect on whether they are doing it out of ignorance or to intentionally cause harm. You could try to guide them, by offering information on who you are and your characteristics that seem to be bothering them -if they continue reacting negatively, you know that they are intentionally discriminating against you, in which case the best thing is to remove yourself and, if you wish, report it to the authorities.

5Try to understand that these are people who feel fear or anger due to wrongful prejudices, so you should avoid paying attention to their provocations or entering into some type of dispute that may grow and put you at risk.

6If you want to take actions that punish the person who discriminates against you, you can approach the authorities. In Mexico you can go to the CONAPRED and in CDMX to the COPRED, both organizations will be able to raise a complaint and carry out actions in your favor.

7Remember that it is normal to feel sad or angry after being discriminated against. When you experience discrimination, do not hide your feelings: talk them out with an acquaintance, do physical activity, cry or shout in a secluded place, so you can feel calmer and you can think better about what happened.

8Sometimes, when we are discriminated against we think that it is due to something we have done, however, it is not our fault: They are actions carried out by people who are ignorant or who hate certain groups, regularly based on prejudices that they have learned -that have nothing to do with you nor are they your fault.

9If possible, investigate the country’s laws on discrimination and your rights. This will help you to better locate who you can go to and in which cases you can receive help from the authorities.

10Reflect on your actions and your ideas so as not to discriminate: it is possible that you discriminate against others without realizing it, making them live and feel the same as you when you have experienced it.