Legal Definitions - national origin

Definition: National origin refers to the country where a person was born or where their ancestors came from. This term is used in laws that prohibit discriminationbased on a person's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Examples:

• An employer cannot refuse to hire someone because they were born in a different country.
• A landlord cannot refuse to rent an apartment to someone because their ancestors are from a certain country.
• A school cannot deny admission to a student because they speak a language other than English at home.

These examples illustrate how discrimination based on national origin is illegal. It is important to treat people fairly and not judge them based on where they or their ancestors come from.