Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban discrimination based on ‘caste’
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The Seattle City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday, sponsored by Councilmember Kshama Sawant, which officially makes it the first U.S. city to ban discrimination on the basis of “caste.”
Casteism, a form of discrimination that typically operates within South Asian communities, was added to the city’s municipal code alongside categories of race, religion and gender identity.
The caste system is a “social hierarchy that divides people into rigid categories at birth, with those on the lowest rungs of the ladder — many of whom self-identify as Dalits — on the receiving end of slurs, discrimination and even violence because of their caste identities,” according to a CNN report on the ban.
Findings published by the Pew Research Center in 2020 show South Asians to be one of the nation’s fastest-growing immigrant groups. The discrimination ban is especially relevant in Seattle, one of the nation’s largest tech hubs and a city which employs many South Asian immigrants.
“This was a win centuries in the making and it was really the fruition of many years of organizing in Seattle across racial and gender and worker lines,” said Thenmozhi Soundararajan, executive director of the Dalit advocacy organization Equality Labs. “It’s also proof that the South Asian community wants to heal from caste,” she added.
While the ordinance did pass, it was not without opposition. In a petition signed by more than 100 diverse organizations and businesses, the Coalition of Hindus of North America claimed the legislation unfairly singled out Hindus.
“This ordinance peddles bigotry and singles out the South Asian community by using racist, colonial tropes of ‘caste’ and ensures that our community is subject to special scrutiny, thus denying our rights to freedom of religion and equal protection,” the statement said.
Councilmember Sawant, who sponsored the ordinance, argues that caste discrimination is no different than other types of oppression under capitalism, and hopes that other cities soon follow in Seattle’s footsteps.
