A recent Gallup poll found that one in 10 Hispanics said they had experienced discrimination due to their ethnicity in various contexts during the past month.

Overall, 25 percent of respondents said they had been treated unfairly in at least one of the five designated situations.

The poll asked: “Can you think of any occasion in the last 30 days when you felt you were treated unfairly in the following places because you were Hispanic?”

The locations queried were: at work; in police interactions; at restaurants, bars, theaters or other entertainment venues; while receiving healthcare; and when shopping.

Half of the respondents were Hispanics born in the U.S., with the other half having been born outside the U.S.

“The two [groups] have significantly different experiences with discrimination,” Gallup noted, suggesting that language was a leading factor.

“Reports of discrimination are much higher among foreign-born Hispanics who are interviewed in Spanish than those interviewed in English,” the report said. “This indicates that language, in addition to ethnicity, may be a key factor in Hispanics’ reports of discrimination and in any actual discrimination that occurs.”

Among Hispanics born in the U.S., 5 percent noted discrimination at work, 8 percent in police interactions, 3 percent in restaurants, etc., and when receiving healthcare, and 2 percent while shopping. An average of 4.2 percent.

The numbers were significantly higher among respondents born outside the U.S.: 18 percent (work), 12 percent (police), 14 percent (restaurants, etc.), 15 percent (healthcare) and 11 percent (shopping). An average of 14 percent.

Mistreatment has improved since mid-July 2013, the report noted in a PDF attachment.

In 2013, an average of 16.2 percent of respondents reported mistreatment in one of the five situations polled. In 2015, the average was 9.2 percent, a 7 percent decrease.

This overall social improvement is noteworthy given the persistent, inaccurate, negative narratives being promulgated by public figures and political leaders, highlighted last week by EthicsDaily.com.

Even so, the Gallup poll indicates that mistreatment of foreign-born Hispanics living in the U.S. remains significantly higher than that experienced by Hispanics born in the U.S.

The full poll results are available here.

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