United States: In a First, Seattle Codifies Caste in Public Policy

Image credit: Twitter/@cmkshama - Sakshi Post

Washington: Seattle has become the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination as its local council added caste to anti-discrimination. The resolution moved by an Indian-American politician and economist Kshama Sawant was approved by a 6-1 vote on Tuesday. 

The proponents of the ordinance say that it was needed as people who are facing caste discrimination on American soil had no protection. 

“It’s official: our movement has won a historic, first-in-the-nation ban on caste discrimination in Seattle! Now we need to build a movement to spread this victory around the country,” Kshama Sawant, who is an upper-caste Hindu said. 

The call to ban discrimination based on caste, a division of people based on birth or descent, has grown louder among South Asian diaspora communities in the United States. Equality Labs is behind the anti-caste discrimination resolution in Seattle. Equality Labs is a coalition of over 30 anti-caste Ambedkarite organisations. 

Also Read: NEP 2020: Centre Asks States to Align Admission Age for Grade 1 to 6 plus Years

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