Caste in the United States: A Global Issue Transcending Borders
When one talks about caste, it is almost always referred to as an India-centric or South Asian issue, as opposed to it being a global issue. And why not? While the term is known around the world, few know what it means, more so in the Global North. The fight against caste-based discrimination is not confined to a specific region; it is a global issue that demands attention and solidarity worldwide. Caste discrimination has long existed in India, for thousands of years, pushing it’s oppressive social hierarchies and beyond regional boundaries. It continues to further exacerbate Dalit communities, restricting or completely bringing their access to right to life to halt; restriction of movement, lack of access to healthcare support, education, basic amenities continues to plague Dalit communities around the world.
Casteism in its essence is also an extremely patriarchal institution and directly intersects with gender justice, or lack thereof. The upper caste man carries his caste everywhere he goes, dissolving the human rights of girls, women as well as of LGBTQIA+ communities. The intersections of caste and gender is a longer conversation, and perhaps another article with a supporting paper to add on.
Expanding Horizons: Caste Legislation in the United States:
Caste discrimination has long been associated with India and South Asia, but it is crucial to recognize that this oppressive social hierarchy extends far beyond regional boundaries. Recent legislations passed in various states in the United States have shed light on the pervasive nature of caste discrimination, underscoring the need for global awareness and action. Caste discrimination, which stratifies individuals based on their birth into hierarchical groups, has insidiously infiltrated societies worldwide. In the United States, where diverse communities coexist, cases of caste-based discrimination have emerged, revealing the urgency of addressing this issue on a global scale. Recognizing the significance of combating this social evil, several states have recently enacted legislations to provide legal protection against caste-based discrimination.
In a study conducted by Equality Labs, a premier Dalit solidarity action organisation in the United States, found that-
To combat casteism in the US, it’s key to ensure that relevant legislation exists, so that caste can be considered a global issue that exists and acknowledged for it’s blatantly oppressive structures. Recently, the city of Seattle, Washington D.C. passed a resolution to include caste as a banned entity within its anti-discrimination laws, becoming the first city to do so in the United States. In May 2023, the state of California passed a historic Bill ‘SB-403’ that included caste within its anti-discriminatory laws, making it the first US state to basically call war on casteism in the country. Spearheaded by Californian Democratic Senator Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, the Bill establishes that, “…the existing Unruh Civil Rights Act, provides that all persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities,
privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever. This bill would additionally provide that all persons within the jurisdiction of the state are so entitled regardless of their caste, as defined.”
Moreover, universities and colleges such as, on April 28 2023, Dr. Ambedkar, India’s crusader for civil rights of the Dalit community’s alma mater Columbia University declared caste as a protected category - meaning, any form of caste-based discrimination is unlawful and will not be tolerated - 100 years after Dr. Ambedkar presented his theses ‘Caste in India’ at the CU. UC Davis, Maine’s Colby College, Brandeis University (MA) as well as Harvard University have all collectively added ‘caste’ as a protected category or banned it as a discriminatory practice. However, like all social justic movements, this crusade in the United States has further fueled opposition from conservative Hindu groups, such as the Hindu American Foundation, which has been prominent in their denouncement of the SB-403.
“We oppose SB-403 because both its legislative intent and impact will result in an unconstitutional denial of equal protection and due process to South Asians (the vast majority of whom are of Indian origin) and other vulnerable ethnic communities. SB-403 unfairly maligns, targets and racially profiles select communities on the basis of their national origin, ethnicity and ancestry for disparate treatment, thereby violating the very laws it seeks to amend, the Unruh Civil Rights Act. It further violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the US and California State Constitutions.”
- Excerpt from Hindu American Foundation’s letter to Senator Wahab against the SB-403
These legislative measures aim to prevent discrimination based on caste in various spheres, including employment, education, housing, and public services. By explicitly recognizing caste discrimination as a pressing concern, these legislations highlight the transnational nature of this issue and the imperative to address it comprehensively. However, the opposition to this cause appears to be rooted in the fear of being prosecuted for practicing casteism, as opposed to the Bill being harmful to South Asians in America. If casteism, much like classism, racism, and other discriminatory practices, needs to go - it needs to be acknowledged everywhere, just like other discriminatory practices, and not further protected by citing harm on vulnerable peoples; it’ll do anything but that.
Furthermore, casteism is seen quite blatantly in medical and tech fields in the States the most, much like racism. According to a March 2023 report highlighting Kshama Sawant, Indian-American politician who pushed for the Seattle anti-caste ordinance, Silicon Valley tech giants magnify the existence of caste in America, with the cancellation of Thenmozhi Soundararajan’s, founder of Equality Labs, anti-caste speech at Google, due to opposition from, presumably, upper caste Hindu employees. Employees of tech giants Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc. famously came forward to cite their experiences of caste discrimination in 2020, including promotional, wage-related discriminates, based on their caste.
This makes it even more crucial to dispel the misconception that caste discrimination is solely an issue confined to India or South Asia. The recent legislations in the United States demonstrate that the plight of marginalized caste communities is a global concern. Such legislation serves as a precedent for other countries and regions, emphasizing the need for a united global effort to eradicate caste-based discrimination, which can hopefully reflect in the Western world prominently in the near future.
Global Solidarity and Action:
To combat caste discrimination effectively, it is essential for nations, international organizations, and civil society to join forces. By fostering awareness, education, and advocacy, we can challenge the deep-rooted prejudices that perpetuate caste discrimination. It is imperative to foster conversations, share knowledge, and collaborate across borders to dismantle caste-based hierarchies and promote equality and social justice.
Caste discrimination is not an issue confined to India or South Asia; it is a global problem that demands our attention and collective action.
The recent legislations passed in the United States states shed light on the transnational nature of caste discrimination and the urgency to address it comprehensively. It is time for the world to recognize that caste discrimination knows no boundaries and to work together to create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
References:
What is Caste? | Dalit Solidarity Network. (n.d.). Dalit Solidarity Network. https://dsnuk.org/caste-discrimination/what-is-caste/
Minority Rights Group.(2021, February 5). Dalits - Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/dalits/
Caste and Gender Justice | International Dalit Solidarity Network
https://idsn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Caste-and-Gender-Justice-Low-Res2.pdf
Caste in the United States — EQUALITY LABS. (n.d.). EQUALITY LABS. https://www.equalitylabs.org/castesurvey
California SB403 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session. (n.d.). LegiScan.
https://legiscan.com/CA/bill/SB403/2023
Roy, P. D., & Roy, P. D. (2023, May 1). Columbia University, Ambedkar’s Alma Mater, Declares Caste as Protected Category. TheQuint.
Proposed California caste bill maligns all people of South Asian descent: HAF. (2023, April 18). Hindu American Foundation.
https://www.hinduamerican.org/press/california-caste-bill-maligns-south-asians
About the author:
Vrushali Kadam is an anti-caste youth advocate for gender justice and policy advocacy, and co-founder at Community Care Collective, a global grassroots movement to include community care in social justice movements, and co-creator at Feminist Manch, a global feminist policy advocacy collective. Her podcast ‘Blackbird,’ which facilitates discourse on social justice, impact, society and culture is now streaming on all major platforms.
