In the first case, victims of housing discrimination are often unaware of
their rights, or how to pursue redress when rights have been violated. Weil
(2009) conducted a long-term study of housing conditions for Latinos in
Southern Louisiana shortly after Hurricane Katrina. Latinos were
especially vulnerable in the period following the disaster; when there was
a lack of even rudimentary housing and tensions were high, employers –
such as contractors who recruited Latinos specifically to work on
reconstruction projects – were also primarily responsible for the allocation
of housing. Added to these factors was insufficient government oversight
(ibid.: 491).
A case in point is Natalia, a Latina teacher and a fluent speaker of
English who told Weil that prior to Katrina she had no basis for complaint:
“If they felt like I was inferior, they didn’t let me know. But I have never
felt embarrassed or humiliated or slighted in any way as a Hispanic.” Any
reasonable interviewer, having established a good relationship with the
informant, must take such information at face value. However, Natalia
also took part in a discrimination audit which provided important
additional data.
Government and non-profit agencies who track housing discrimination
will often perform an audit when discriminatory practices are suspected.
For example, if a Korean-American applies for a mortgage and is quoted
an unusually high interest rate – and reports this – an Anglo tester is sent
in to apply for the same mortgage (supplying the same information on the
application). This process may be repeated a number of times with
different testers. If sufficient evidence can be documented, the bank or
mortgage company may be charged with unlawful discrimination.
In Natalia’s case, her experiences with rental agents was recorded and
then compared to the experiences of an Anglo, non-Latina:
Unbeknownst to [Natalia], she was discriminated against on several
occasions; however, the discrimination was often masked by a
friendly and seemingly accommodating voice ... it is often difficult
today for an individual to know whether he or she has been treated
unfairly, and as a result, the vast majority of discrimination cases go
unreported.
(ibid.: 493)