Seattle becomes first US city to ban discrimination based on caste: What it means

Seattle has become the first US city to ban caste discrimination.

For the first time in the US, the Seattle City Council has added caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws. Calls to outlaw discrimination based on caste, a division of people based on birth or descent, have grown louder among South Asian diaspora communities in the United States. The movement is getting pushback from some Hindu Americans who argue that such legislation maligns a specific community, as reported by PTI.

Proponents of the ordinance approved by a 6-1 vote Tuesday say caste discrimination crosses national and religious boundaries and that without such laws, those facing caste discrimination in the US will have no protections.

The ordinance is a contentious issue, especially among the nation's South Asian diaspora. Supporters argue it is needed because caste is not covered under existing civil rights protections. Groups opposing the measure say it will malign a community that is already the target of prejudice.

Council Member Kshama Sawant, a socialist and the only Indian-American on the City Council, said the ordinance, which she proposed, does not single out one community, but it accounts for how caste discrimination crosses national and religious boundaries.

Caste system in India

The origins of the caste system in India can be traced back 3,000 years as a social hierarchy based on one's occupation and birth. It is a system that has evolved over the centuries under Muslim and British rule. 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.

Dalit activists from Seattle and beyond rallied at Seattle City Hall in support of the ordinance, said Thenmozhi Soundararajan, founder and executive director of California-based Equality Labs.

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. The group South Asian Americans Leading Together reports that nearly 5.4 million South Asians live in the U.S. - up from the 3.5 million counted in the 2010 census. Most trace their roots to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Over the past three years, several colleges and university systems have moved to prohibit caste discrimination.

In December 2019, Brandeis University near Boston became the first US college to include caste in its nondiscrimination policy. The California State University System, Colby College, Brown University and the University of California, Davis have all adopted similar measures. Harvard University instituted caste protections for student workers in 2021 as part of its contract with its graduate student union.

The Seattle measure had the support of Dalit activist-led organizations like Equality Labs and others. The groups say caste discrimination is prevalent in diaspora communities manifesting itself in the form of social alienation and discrimination in housing, education and the tech sector where South Asians hold key roles.

Opposition to the ordinance came from groups such as the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America who say it unnecessarily singles-out a community already vulnerable to discrimination in the US.

Caste discrimination in US

In the US, caste discrimination is not specifically prohibited by federal law, as the focus of US anti-discrimination laws has been on protecting individuals from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, and disability. However, caste discrimination may be covered by existing anti-discrimination laws, as it may overlap with discrimination based on other protected characteristics, such as race or national origin. There have been efforts in the US to raise awareness about caste discrimination and to address it through legislation and other means.

For example, in 2020, California passed a resolution recognizing the harmful impact of caste discrimination and urging schools and universities to address it. Additionally, there have been discussions about including caste as a protected category in US anti-discrimination laws.

It is worth noting that while caste discrimination is a serious issue, not all individuals of South Asian origin practice or support the caste system. In fact, many South Asians, both in the US and in South Asia, are actively working to challenge and dismantle the caste system and its harmful effects.