You’ll understand if workers of Hispanic descent – even those here legally – are feeling less than appreciated these days. Whether it’s in the halls of Congress, along the border with Mexico, or in the workplace, the rhetoric and behavior at times have gotten ugly.

The idea of erecting a giant fence, mostly along the southern borders of California and Arizona, hasn’t helped matters. The 700-mile project, virtually stalled for a year, is merely a symbol of divisiveness to many. Two weeks ago, Texas Gov. Rick Perry called the fence pure "idiocy," and urged Congress to reopen its stalled debate on immigration reform.

Minus a new mandate, the Department of Homeland Security decided it is going to aggressively enforce current law by upping its enforcement efforts to identify and penalize employers who hire any of the 12-million illegal immigrants believed to be in this country. Companies that balk at verifying or firing undocumented workers could face raids, fines or worse. DHS planned to send out thousands of threatening letters to firms that employed workers with suspicious Social Security numbers, however, last week a federal judge ordered the Social Security Administration not to send the letters.

All of which can make applying for a job a demeaning prospect for anyone of Hispanic descent, no matter what their legal status. Rightly or wrongly, employers may take a closer look at Latino names and faces.

Unwelcoming Workplace

Even in the workplace, the atmosphere has gotten uncomfortable for Hispanics, according to a recent survey. The study by CareerBuilder.com and temporary staffing firm Kelly Services found that almost a third of the Hispanic workforce has experienced discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace. Worse, in most cases, it was considered acceptable – when workers reported bad treatment, 77 percent said the offender was not held accountable.

"Hispanic workers are among the fastest-growing segments of the US labor force," notes Jesse Caballero, senior career advisor with CareerBuilder. "They are also among the two groups reporting the highest levels of severe discrimination in the workplace."

He adds that one in four Hispanics feel they are paid less and have fewer career advancement opportunities than Caucasian co-workers. 26 percent say they are treated unfairly at work every week, and 15 percent say they have been addressed with a racial slur on the job.

Discrimination includes not receiving credit for one’s work, having concerns ignored, not receiving a raise or bonus, and being passed over for promotion.

Some suggest that one reason Hispanic concerns in the workplace are not taken seriously is due to a lack of Hispanics in management roles. "This study reinforces the relative scarcity of diverse workers in management in most organizations," asserts Nina Ramsey, senior VP of human resources at Kelly Services. "We can hope that the environment for Hispanics and other diverse workers will steadily improve as hiring, leadership development and succession practices evolve and include workers of all backgrounds."

Fed vs. Fed

While one arm of the federal government is helping to create a chilly atmosphere for anyone Hispanic, the US Office of Personnel Management last week launched a campaign to recruit Hispanics.

That’s because Hispanics are the only ethnic minority still underrepresented in the federal workforce. Right now, 7.6 percent of federal employees are Hispanic, compared to 12.8 percent of civilian workers.

"It’s been an issue for decades," declares spokesman Ken Oliver-Mendez, who outlined an extensive media campaign. "We’ve been actively going to Hispanic media outlets [and] working with nonprofits, trying to let the Hispanic population know about the federal government as an employer."

While more Hispanics have taken internships than in the past, it has not led to a greater number of hires. Hispanics, for example, held more than 20 percent of the internships at the Justice Department in 2006, but only 8.8 percent of the full-time jobs.

Best Companies

For Hispanics interested in the private sector, HispanicBusiness.com lists 40 top companies, determined by "a company’s commitment to Hispanics in the workplace. Unlike other ‘Best Company’ lists, which focus on entry-level hiring, our Top 40 Companies list is based on an in-depth analysis of 30 critical statistics, examining how companies reach Hispanics in recruitment, promotion, retention, procurement, community support, and consumer marketing."

Top five on the list are McDonald’s, Bank of America, SBC (now part of AT&T), Washington Mutual and Verizon.

LATINA Style Magazine published its own list of the top private companies to work for, which can be found online at LatinaStyle.com. This year’s overall Latina winner was Pepsico, which was praised for creating an inclusive atmosphere in the workplace.

The Bottom Line

A new study by the Pew Hispanic Center, based in Washington DC, shows that Latino Immigrants in the US are making notable progress in their quest for the American Dream, with 513,000 more than expected rising out of the low-wage workforce over the past decade. The share of Mexican immigrants in the bottom of the income spectrum decreased from 48 to 40 percent between 1995 and 2005.

The report also found that newly arrived Hispanic workers were much less likely to be low-wage earners in 2005 than in 1995, in part because they were older, better educated and more likely to be employed in construction than in agriculture.

It’s unclear how the housing slump will affect Hispanic employment. It certainly has played a large part to date, with Hispanics capturing two out of three housing construction jobs in the US in 2006.