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Fresno, a city located in California, has made history by becoming the second city in the United States, following Seattle, to enact legislation against caste discrimination. This landmark decision was reached through a unanimous vote by the city council, resulting in the inclusion of caste and indigeneity as two new protected categories within the city's municipal code.
This development underscores the growing momentum of the movement against caste discrimination in North America in recent months. Earlier this year, Seattle set a precedent as the first U.S. city to prohibit caste discrimination through a city council vote. Similarly, in Canada, the Toronto school board became the first to acknowledge the existence of caste discrimination within the city's educational institutions.
Looking ahead, activists committed to eradicating caste discrimination in the United States are determined to expand their efforts nationwide.
At the state level in California, significant progress has been made toward addressing this issue. A bill aimed at banning caste discrimination across the entire state passed with overwhelming support in the state Assembly in late August and subsequently in the state Senate in early September. This bill is now awaiting the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom. If signed into law, California will become the first U.S. state to officially prohibit caste discrimination.
To provide context, the caste system is one of the world's oldest forms of deeply entrenched social stratification, dating back thousands of years. It confers privileges upon upper castes while subjecting lower castes to repression. The Dalit community, situated at the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system, has historically been marginalized and treated as "untouchables."
Although India officially outlawed caste discrimination more than seven decades ago, numerous studies in recent years have highlighted persistent bias and discrimination against lower-caste individuals. These studies have revealed a notable underrepresentation of lower-caste individuals in higher-paying occupations.
Tragically, Dalits in India continue to experience widespread abuse, with their attempts at upward social mobility often met with violent suppression.
Debates surrounding the caste system are complex and deeply intertwined with religion. Activists advocating against caste discrimination argue that it is no different from other forms of discrimination, such as racism, and should therefore be subject to legal prohibition.
On the other hand, opponents of such legislative measures in the United States contend that existing U.S. laws already prohibit discrimination based on ancestry. They argue that additional legal action in this regard would be redundant and could potentially stigmatize entire communities, particularly Hindus and South Asians, with a broad and unwarranted brush. These debates underscore the complexity and sensitivity of addressing caste discrimination within the context of U.S. law and society.
