Photo Courtesy of TechEquity Collaborative

On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 403 (SB 403), a bill prohibiting discrimination on the basis of caste. He deemed the bill “unnecessary,” stating that existing laws have already protected employment opportunities for all subgroups of Asian Americans.

Throughout history, discrimination has been prominent in nearly every country with diverse groups. In 2020, America experienced some of the largest protests for racial equality. But less known to many is internal discrimination— within seemingly homogenous cultures, there are subgroups fighting for their own equality. In Hindu culture in South Asia, caste discrimination has been a part of life for multiple generations, and it has traveled out of Asia and made its way across oceans to the United States.  

Several thousand years ago the caste system, a social hierarchy, was formed in South Asia as a way to control the local population. Each person is born in one of the following castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and Dalits. Brahmins were of the highest social status, which came with the most social advantages. Following descending order, the Dalits (also called the “Untouchables”) came last and were regarded with the least respect in Hindu society. 

On Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 403 (SB 403), a bill proposed by Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-10) prohibiting prejudice on the basis of caste. Newsom deemed the bill “unnecessary,” stating that existing laws have already protected employment opportunities for all subgroups of Asian Americans. 

“Because discrimination based on caste is already prohibited under these existing categories, this bill is unnecessary,” Newsom said. 

Advocate Prem Pariyar, who is a Dalit, has been a victim of casteism. 

Pariyar has been denied access to housing, unequally treated at his employment positions and neglected at Hindu-exclusive parties.

“There was a house party (for Hindus from all castes and) everybody was lined up for the food when it was … time for dinner. And I was also in the line. And when it was my turn, … the house lady stopped me and said ‘Hello, don’t (touch) (the food)…we have other people also,’” Pariyar said.

Pariyar attributes this to one factor- caste discrimination. 

“I have a very long history of caste discrimination. And this is not new, and I’m not the first person (who has) experienced caste discrimination,” Pariyar said.

Pariyar longed to come to the state of California to achieve equity, but he has felt he has been trampled down by those in higher castes. 

“I thought people here in California or people here in the US, they are highly educated and they will not discriminate based on my caste. I thought that, but I was wrong,” Pariyar said. 

The veto of SB 403 is yet another reason for caste equity activists to continue their fight. California State University, Sacramento, professor of Anthropology Raghu Trichur, who specializes in South Asian studies, believes that there is more to a bill that prohibits intolerance. 

“It’s just not enough to claim caste discrimination,” Trichur said. “You have to be able to provide evidence.” 

Beyond social prejudice, caste bias has found itself evident in the workplace, and incidences of caste discrimination in employment have garnered attention. Many South Asians often immigrate to the United States out of employment offerings, and in the 1990s, many came over to claim jobs in the technology industry. Trichur claims that the open spot is more accessible to those in higher castes, given that they were able to come from educational institutes, compared to those in lower castes who couldn’t receive the same educational resources.  

“People are getting professional being promoted in the professional field because they happen to belong to a particular caste,” Trichur said. 

To Trichur, the issues that come with the caste system cycle from the centuries caste has been prevalent in South Asia to today’s caste inequity in the United States for South Asian Americans. Those in favor of eliminating caste discrimination believe that the Dalits cannot attain opportunities exclusive to the Brahmins. 

“(Higher caste members) automatically get (privilege),” Pariyar said. “They don’t have to do any extra work.”

In agreement with Pariyar, Trichur has articulated his acknowledgment that he has benefitted from the caste system since he is a Brahmin.

“So there are two steps (in answering caste inequity): one is we have to accept it as discrimination. And then the next step is to learn how specifically that discrimination materializes in different contexts,” Trichur said, “As far as the bulk of the people are concerned, this is a very alien concept… And if you want to live in a cosmopolitan, diverse society, then it behooves us to basically take the necessary steps to learn about it.”

Within the prominent South Asian community at Granite Bay High School, many students don’t see it as an issue. 

Freshman Dhaksha Alagesan is a Hindu who practices the caste system but is not an Untouchable. 

“(Caste inequity) is not as apparent in the United States…I’ve never come across it,” Alagesan said. 

Many have also expressed that there is a decrease in caste importance as generations pass from the first immigrants to second-generation to third-generation offspring. This multi-generational difference spares room for more acceptance, according to several high schoolers.

In response, Pariyar strongly disagrees, stating he is acquainted with those who are younger who still experience it.

“Those who are saying caste does not impact-that is the lie! That is not the truth. Those who are saying ‘oh, this caste does not (matter)’ in fact, they must be from dominant caste. Dominant caste people definitely say that there is no impact,” Pariyar said. 

Pariyar states that those in the dominant caste who oppose SB 403 do so in a way to maintain dominance in the South Asian community. He criticizes those in the higher castes’ actions as being careless toward future prosperity. 

“I am involved in this activism to protect my coming generations. I want to be a good ancestor. I want to protect my community (from) being discriminated (against) even in the diaspora,” Pariyar said, “No one should be discriminated-not only caste-oppressed-…we are in the movement for no Asian hate. Then we need to know that no Asian hate means (no) caste oppressed community.”