Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Sues Asian supermarket chain 99 Ranch Market For Allegedly Paying Chinese Employees More Than Non-Chinese Employees
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (July 3, 2026) – 99 Ranch Market, one of the largest Asian supermarket chains in the United States, is being accused of wage discrimination and other employment law violations.
The supermarket chain is facing a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly paying its Chinese employees more than its non-Chinese workers.
Tawa Market is the parent company of 99 Ranch Market. It has also been accused of failing to promote deserving workers simply because they were not Chinese.
Prosecutors have also alleged that certain employees felt they had no choice but to resign due to discrimination they experienced. An additional claim was made that the company fired non-Chinese managers not long after they were hired, and then replaced them with Chinese managers.
Liability for Wage Discrimination
Employers in the United States have a legal obligation to strictly adhere to all employment laws. Federal law prohibits employers from making any workplace decision related to pay or promotion strictly on the basis of race. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer could be liable if workers are treated worse simply because they are not part of any specific ethnic or national-origin group.
- Employers are forbidden from paying workers less because of their country of origin
- Employers are not allowed to deny any promotion because of a person’s ethnic background or country of origin.
- Employers are not allowed to reduce the number of hours their workers work or otherwise restrict workplace opportunities on the basis of race or other protected characteristics.
- Employers are not allowed to fire or discipline workers because they are part of a certain ethnic or national group.
- Employers are not allowed to retaliate against workers if they speak up about discrimination or harassment in the workplace.
When an employer violates Title VII, this could form the basis of a civil claim. Affected workers are able to pursue compensation for all of the ways that they have been harmed. This will include compensation for lost benefits, wrongful termination, and emotional duress. Of course, employers will never come out in the open and be transparent about why some workers are being treated poorly. They will nearly always create some false pretext to mask what they are really doing.
Steps to Take After Wage Discrimination in California
Despite Title VII and other state employment protections, employment discrimination remains relatively common across California in the United States. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “In fiscal year 2025, the agency responded to nearly 270,000 inquiries, up almost 9% from fiscal year 2024; processed 88,201 new discrimination charges, which remained relatively even with fiscal year 2024.” Certain actions should be taken after any instance of wage discrimination in California.
- Workers should document any pay disparity that they may become aware of. This necessitates they keep pay stubs, performance reviews, and other official documents related to their work.
- Workers should ask about wages when they feel this is necessary. Under California law, workers are protected when discussing wages with coworkers.
- Workers should issue a complaint in writing to address any instance of wage discrimination.
- Workers should carefully document any instance of workplace retaliation. It is illegal for employers to retaliate under federal and state laws.
- Workers should carefully consider their legal options with an experienced employment law attorney.
It can be difficult to know where to begin after any instance of wage discrimination. Victims often feel powerless. They fear losing their job or being retaliated against by management. This is why seeking legal help can be so important in these situations. Making sure that evidence is properly documented is an important part of winning any wage discrimination claim. There is also power in numbers. When there is systematic discrimination against many people in a company, it is typically easier to demonstrate that employment laws were being violated.
Getting Legal Help After Employment Discrimination
We at The Labor Champ were very concerned to hear about the lawsuit against 99 Ranch Market. It is deeply troubling that any American company would think that it is appropriate to pay certain workers different wages simply because of their ethnic background or national origin. This is a violation of the law that must be addressed.
Have you been employed by Asian supermarket chain 99 Ranch Market? Are you concerned that you faced wage discrimination, wrongful termination, or other violations of employment law? Our team of employment law attorneys is here to help you. We are committed to helping workers understand their rights and hold employers fully accountable for their illegal conduct. You are always welcome to contact us anytime at 949-727-9300.
