EEOC Sues 99 Ranch Market for Discrimination Against Non-Chinese Workers

LOS ANGELES - Tawa Supermarket, Inc. doing business as 99 Ranch Market, violated federal law when it fired and otherwise discriminated against non-Chinese workers based on their national origin, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, since at least 2016, following a leadership change, the grocery store chain allegedly terminated recently hired non-Chinese managers at multiple locations. Tawa also subjected non-Chinese store-level employees to discrimination by failing to promote them because they are not Chinese, paying them less than Chinese workers, and scheduling them for fewer work hours than Chinese counterparts. As a result, some non-Chinese workers felt they had no choice but to resign.

Tawa Supermarket has at least 66 locations across multiple states, including California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Arizona and Virginia. It operates as a private, family-owned business with headquarters in Buena Park, California.

"The EEOC will not hesitate to bring litigation to make clear to employers that cultural preference regarding the composition of their workforce does not insulate them from liability. Preferences based on protected characteristics are simply a form of illegal discrimination under Title VII," said Catherine Eschbach, acting general counsel for the EEOC. "That the employer here is a Chinese supermarket chain does not provide license to terminate non-Chinese managers or otherwise discriminate against non-Chinese workers in employment terms and conditions."

"The EEOC's core mission is to ensure equal opportunity for all," said Beatriz B. Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District. "All workers have a right to equal treatment at work regardless of their national origin."

This alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Tawa Supermarket, Inc. dba 99 Ranch Market, et al. Case No. 8:26-cv-01682) in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

Christine Park-Gonzalez, director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District, said, "Customer preference or beliefs that workers from certain groups are more productive do not justify national origin discrimination. Employers must follow federal law and not exclude workers due to national origin."

For more information on national origin discrimination, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/national-origin-discrimination

The EEOC's Los Angeles District Office is responsible for addressing discrimination charges and conducting agency litigation in central and southern California, southern Nevada, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands with offices in Los Angeles, Fresno, Las Vegas, San Diego and Honolulu.

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov .