Caste system discrimination is an issue in the state of Washington. Kshama Sawant’s fellow council members may make Seattle the first city in the United States to specifically outlaw caste discrimination. Council member Sawant said current anti-discrimination laws are insufficient.
The caste system is based on social status and a form of purity within the Indian culture. The origins go back 3,000 years as a social hierarchy based on birth. While the definition of caste has evolved, under Muslim and British rule, the suffering of those at the bottom of the caste pyramid – known as Dalits — has continued. In 1948, India banned caste discrimination, and enshrined that policy in the constitution in 1950.
In the U.S., the national debate is causing deep divisions within the diaspora. Dalit activist-led organizations such as Oakland, California-based Equality Labs, say caste discrimination is prevalent in diaspora communities, surfacing in the form of social alienation and discrimination in housing, education and the tech sector where South Asians hold key roles.
Some are up in arms about the proposed ordinance and calls it unconstitutional because it targets an ethnic minority. Shukla says caste is already covered under existing anti-discrimination laws. Supporters points to a United Nations report in 2016 that reported that at least 250 million people worldwide still face caste discrimination, which surfaces in various religions.
In a survey of 1,500 South Asians in the U.S. by Equity Lab: 67% of Dalits who responded reported being treated unfairly at their workplace because of their caste. There was a contrast that stated 40% of Dalit students who were surveyed reported facing discrimination in educational institutions compared to 3% of upper-caste respondents.
More than 150,000 South Asians live in Washington state, with many employed in the tech sector where Dalit activists say caste-based discrimination has gone unaddressed.
