In recent years, U.S. public opinion has been divided about the existence and seriousness of racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination.

Amid growing racial divides in civil and political views, our research team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in partnership with NPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, asked 3,453 adults about their experiences of discrimination.

We surveyed adults who identified as members of six groups often underrepresented in public opinion research: blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, women and LGBTQ adults.

Our studies, published in December, show that people from these groups report high levels of discrimination from both institutions and other people.

Widespread reported discrimination

The articles were based on a survey conducted via telephone from Jan. 26 to April 9, 2017, among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

We asked people if they had ever experienced specific forms of discrimination, harassment or unfair treatment because they are black, Latino, Native American, Asian American, a woman, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

Discrimination was commonly reported across many areas of life, including in the workplace, at the doctor and with the police. Slurs, harassment and violence were also widely reported.