My doctor, an outspoken liberal, asked if my partner found a new job. “Not yet,” I replied, expecting an air of sympathy or a change of topic. But instead, he prescribed a look of confusion. “But isn’t she a Latina,” he asked. He proceeded to share he has heard a lot of employers are prioritizing diversity. More recently, a family member recommended I use my wife’s surname, López, saying it may increase my chances of getting a job offer.
These misplaced suggestions and comments were not intended to be offensive or imply they disagreed with the notion of non-White job applicants receiving an advantage. But they highlighted a growing conspiracy in the U.S. — people of color are at a major advantage in the job market. In other words, it is a myth of “White Disadvantage.”