SEATTLE — Seattle City Council on Tuesday added caste to the city’s antidiscrimination laws, becoming the first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination and the first in the world to pass such a law outside of South Asia.
Calls for a ban on discrimination based on caste, a classification of people by birth or ancestry, have been growing louder in the South Asian diaspora communities in the United States. But the movement has been pushed back by some Hindu Americans, who argue that such legislation slanders a particular community.
Tensions within the community were visible Tuesday at Seattle City Hall when a noisy hearing culminated in a 6-1 vote, with the majority of the council agreeing that caste discrimination transcended national and religious boundaries and that without such laws Those Subject to Caste Discrimination The United States has no legal rights or protections.
The crowded room, which crammed with activists from both sides carrying banners, chanting slogans, challenging speakers and city officials as they made their comments, exposed clear divisions within the South Asian diaspora on the issue. A majority of those present in the council chambers were in favor of the ordinance, and a vocal minority opposed it.
As council members voted in favor of the ordinance, the chamber erupted in cheers of “Jai Bhim,” meaning “victory for Bhim,” a rallying cry echoed by supporters of BR Ambedkar, an Indian Dalit rights icon first named Bhimrao , was accepted. Dalit groups and their supporters say caste discrimination is rife in US diaspora communities, manifesting itself in the form of social alienation and discrimination in the housing, education and technology sectors, where South Asians play key roles.
Yogesh Mane, a Seattle resident who grew up an untouchable in India, broke down in tears upon hearing the council’s decision.
“I’m emotional because this is the first time such an ordinance has been issued anywhere in the world outside of South Asia,” he said. “It’s a historic moment and a powerful feeling when the law allows us to speak out about things that are wrong.”
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, executive director of Oakland, Calif.-based Equality Labs, whose lobbying work with community partners continues to push caste discrimination laws, described the council vote as “a culture war that was won.”
“We’ve received support from over 200 organizations in Seattle and across the country,” she said. “It is a strong message that the Dalit are not alone. The South Asian community has come together to say we want to heal the trauma of caste.”
Councilor Kshama Sawant, a socialist and the only Indian-American on the city council, said the ordinance she is proposing does not single out any community but recognizes how caste discrimination crosses national and religious lines. Sawant said the council has received over 4,000 emails in support of the regulation.
“We’ve heard hundreds of heartbreaking stories over the past few weeks that show us that caste discrimination is very real in Seattle,” she said.
Councilor Sara Nelson, who cast the only dissenting vote, agreed with opponents, calling the regulation “a reckless, harmful solution to a problem for which we have no data or research”.
“This could lead to more anti-Hindu discrimination and discourage employers from hiring South Asians,” she said. “The affected community is deeply divided on this issue.”
Nelson also said the ordinance would also involve the city in litigation, to which Sawant responded, “Move it forward.” Sawant said fear of lawsuits is not the way to bring about progress or change.
Councilor Lisa Herbold questioned opponents’ logic that the law singled out Hindus and people of Indian descent.
“It’s like saying that sex discrimination laws single out all men,” she said. “And just because we have a small population that is experiencing (caste discrimination) doesn’t make it any less important.”
Shobha Swamy, a representative of the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said she was disappointed with the council’s deliberations and questions. The group said it received a demonstration of support from over 100 organizations.
“Due diligence was not conducted,” said Swami, who flew in from Atlanta. “We will not stop fighting to educate people and create more awareness of our traditions and culture. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
CH Srikrishna, a San Francisco Bay Area-based technician, said he was concerned about the impact this regulation could have on the South Asian community.
“I too want the discrimination to end,” he said. “But we must first recognize that there is widespread discrimination. We need more time, context and background. The way the Council has rushed this regulation is worrying.”
Srikrishna, who is Hindu, believes that the decree is aimed at his religion.
“When you say it originated 2,000 years ago, you are implicitly blaming Hinduism,” he said. “That bothers me. I feel cheated.”
Sanjay Patel, owner of a Seattle-area tech company, said he’s never felt discriminated against as a member of a lower caste in the US and the regulation hurts him because it reminds him of a caste identity that he says is outdated.
“I’m afraid with this law, companies will be afraid to hire South Asians,” he said. “It will also affect interpersonal relationships if members of the community start seeing each other through boxed glasses.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, several activists braved cold temperatures and gusty winds to line up outside City Hall so they could speak to the council ahead of the vote. But the council limited public comment at the meeting, where more than 300 people had asked to speak virtually and in person. They heard about half of the comments before moving on to deliberations and voting.
The origins of the caste system in India can be traced back 3,000 years as a social hierarchy based on occupation and birth. It is a system that developed under Muslim and British rule over the centuries. The suffering of those at the bottom of the box pyramid – known as Dalits – continues. Caste discrimination has been banned in India since 1948, a year after the country gained independence from British rule.
The US is the second most popular destination for Indians living abroad, according to the Migration Policy Institute, which estimates the US diaspora has grown from about 206,000 in 1980 to about 2.7 million in 2021. The group South Asian Americans Leading Together reports nearly 5.4 million South Asians live in the US – up from the 3.5 million counted in the 2010 census. Most have their roots in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
In the last three years, several college and university systems have moved to outlaw 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 taken similar action. Harvard University instituted caste protections for student workers in 2021 as part of its contract with its graduate student union.
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