13 protected grounds of discrimination

3. Ancestry

People cannot discriminate against you because of your ancestry. For example, a person’s parents might be Aboriginal, Iraqi, Korean or Mexican.

Maria’s story

My parents came to Canada from Mexico. People at work know my ancestry.

One of my co-workers tells jokes about Mexicans. I don’t think the jokes are funny. She doesn’t tell jokes about other people.

I think my co-worker is harassing me because of my ancestry. That is discrimination.

4. Place of origin

People cannot discriminate against you because of your place of origin. Place of origin means where a person was born.

Kau’s story

I’m looking for a better job. I went to a job interview. The interviewer said, “You have an accent. Where were you born?” I said, “China.”

The interview was very short. I didn’t get the job.

I have lots of work experience in Canada. I think the interviewer discriminated against me because of my place of origin.