Iasibas

MEMORANDUM

Serghei Iasibas (“Iasibas”), a native and citizen of Moldova, seeks review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) affirming the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) denial of his claims for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1252 , and review for substantial evidence. Kaiser v. Ashcroft, 890 F.3d 653, 657 (9th Cir.2004). We deny the petition.

As the IJ found, the incidents of discrimination described by Iasibas, although unfortunate, did not rise to the level of persecution. Ghaly v. INS, 58 F.3d 1425, 1431 (9th Cir.1995) (“Discrimination on the basis of race or religion, as morally reprehensible as it may be, does not ordinarily amount to ‘persecution’ within the meaning of the Act.”). Iasibas did not suffer severe economic disadvantage, as he was able to attend school and obtain a government job despite his ethnicity. Cf. Chand v. INS, 222 F.3d 1066, 1074 (9th Cir.2000).

Iasibas’s alleged incidents of threats and physical encounters with Moldovan individuals — some of which Iasibas admitted arose over a desire for cigarettes and/or alcohol, or a misplaced…