Date of September 2021, no US city had officially banned caste discrimination. However, there have been efforts to bring attention to the issue and push for legal protections against caste discrimination.
For example, in June 2021, a group of over 90 US-based organizations sent a letter to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) urging it to recognize caste discrimination as a form of race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The letter argued that caste discrimination has been found to be a problem in the US and that legal protections are needed to address it.
In addition, some states, including California, New Jersey, and Washington, have included caste as a protected characteristic in their anti-discrimination laws. This means that individuals who experience discrimination based on their caste may be able to file complaints with state-level agencies or pursue legal action.
While there is no official ban on caste discrimination at the federal or city level in the US, there are ongoing efforts to address the issue and provide legal protections for those who experience discrimination based on their caste.
Seattle, a major city in the United States, has recently become the first city in the country to ban caste discrimination. The city council unanimously passed the bill that prohibits discrimination based on caste or perceived caste identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The first “US city to ban Caste Discrimination”.
US city had officially banned caste discrimination. However, there have been efforts to push for legal protections against caste discrimination at the state level. For example, in California, caste has been included as a protected characteristic under the state’s anti-discrimination laws. This means that individuals who experience discrimination based on their caste may be able to file complaints with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing or pursue legal action. While no US city has officially banned caste discrimination, there are ongoing efforts to address the issue and provide legal protections for those who experience discrimination based on their caste.
Caste discrimination can take many forms, including denial of education and employment opportunities, restrictions on access to public spaces, and social exclusion
Caste discrimination is a prevalent issue in many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia, where the caste system is deeply entrenched in society. However, it is not just limited to South Asia, but also affects people of South Asian descent living in other parts of the world, including the United States.
Yes, caste discrimination is a significant issue in many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia. Caste is a system of social stratification that has existed in India for centuries and is closely tied to Hinduism. In this system, people are born into a particular caste, and their position in society is determined by that caste. The four main castes are Brahmin (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warriors and rulers), Vaishya (merchants and traders), and Shudra (laborers and artisans).
Dalits, also known as “untouchables,” are considered outside the caste system and are often subject to discrimination and violence. They have historically been denied access to education, land, and basic human rights, and are often forced to perform menial and degrading tasks such as cleaning toilets and disposing of dead animals.
Caste discrimination also affects people outside of South Asia
Caste discrimination also affects people outside of South Asia, particularly those from the diaspora communities who have migrated to other parts of the world. Discrimination can take many forms, including exclusion from social and economic opportunities, harassment, and violence.
Efforts to address caste discrimination include legal and policy interventions, advocacy campaigns, and grassroots organizing. However, entrenched attitudes and social norms can be difficult to change, and progress has been slow.
The new law in Seattle aims to protect people from discrimination based on their caste, which is determined by their birth and is deeply rooted in social hierarchy. The bill acknowledges that caste-based discrimination is a serious problem that affects people’s access to opportunities, education, and employment.
The passing of this bill is an important step towards creating a more inclusive society and promoting diversity and equality. It sends a message that discrimination of any kind is not acceptable, and all individuals must be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their caste or perceived caste identity.
Overall, Seattle’s decision to ban caste discrimination is a positive move towards building a more inclusive and equitable society. It sets an example for other cities and countries to follow in addressing caste-based discrimination and promoting human rights.
On Tuesday 21 February, the city council in the capital of Washington State voted to add caste, a hierarchical social system dating back thousands of years and practiced throughout South Asia among people of all religions, to the city’s anti-discrimination laws.
City council member Kshama Sawant, who proposed the ordinance, is the only Indian- American on the council, said during Tuesday’s session that the measure does not single out one community, but accounts for how caste discrimination crosses national and religious boundaries.
Kshama sawant later tweeted, “It’s official: our movement has WON a historic, first-in-the-nation ban on caste discrimination in Seattle! Now we need to build a movement to spread this victory around the country.”
Tuesday’s ordinance was approved by a 6-1 vote. It addresses an issue important to the area’s South Asian diaspora, particularly the Indian and Hindu communities. India’s caste system is among the world’s oldest forms of rigid social system
The caste system dates back thousands of years. It is an ancient system of social hierarchy based on one’s birth that is tied to concepts of purity and social status. The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras.Outside of this Hindu caste system were the achhoots – the Dalits or the untouchables.. Many believe that the groups originated from Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.
The issue of Caste Discrimination is a complex and ongoing problem in India, despite being prohibited by law since 1948.
The suffering of those who are at the bottom of the caste pyramid – known as Dalits – has continued. Caste discrimination has been prohibited in India since 1948, a year after the nation’s independence from British rule.
The US is the second most popular destination for Indians living abroad, according to the Migration Policy Institute, which estimates the US diaspora grew from about 206,000 in 1980 to about 2.7 million in 2021.
Over the past three years, several colleges and university systems have moved to prohibit caste discrimination, including Brandeis University, the California State University System, Colby College, Brown University, and the University of California, Davis.
Harvard University also instituted caste protections for student workers in 2021 as part of its contract with its graduate student union. California State University in January 2022 added caste to non-discrimination policy.
Some Hindu right groups have opposed the recognition of caste in the US, claiming that it would “single out and target Indian Americans for scrutiny and discrimination”. However, rights activists and experts have said there is no basis to this fear.
For which, Sawant replied that this is a typical right-wing talking point and an attempt to stifle the rights of oppressed-caste members in the US: “To say that protecting lower-caste Indian Americans against discrimination would target Indian Americans from other castes is like saying addressing racism against Black and brown people would negatively affect white people.”
In an open letter, the Washington DC-based Hindu American Federation noted that while the ordinance’s goals were praiseworthy, it “unfairly singles out and targets an entire community on the basis of their national origin and ancestry for disparate treatment”.
The letter further added that ‘Indian Americans make up less than 2% of Washington state’s population and that there was little evidence of any widespread discrimination based on caste’.
Meanwhile, for Dalits in other cities, the introduction of anti-caste legislation in Seattle has raised hopes for nationwide action.
The Proposed state legislation “is small, but a landmark moment for us”, Dolly Arjun, a Dalit-American activist from Boston, “But it’s just the beginning. We aim to have a nationwide ban against this despicable and inhumane practice of the caste system”, said.