"these" in English is a pronoun. Plural for "this". This is the dictionay explaination:
1.
a. Used to refer to the person or thing present, nearby, or just mentioned: This is my cat. These are my tools.
b. Used to refer to what is about to be said: Now don't laugh when you hear this.
c. Used to refer to the present event, action, or time: said he'd be back before this.
2. Used to indicate the nearer or the more immediate one: This is mine and that is yours.

“这些中国人”，would mean the ones they just interviewed, not 作为一个群体.

I think it is an over strech to start with calling this a "discrimination".