Debate as California State bans caste discrimination

When Prem Pariyar moved from his home in Nepal to 바카라사이트 US in 2015, he expected a reprieve from 바카라사이트 discrimination and violence he and his family experienced in Nepal?because of 바카라사이트ir caste status.

Mr Pariyar is a Dalit, a member of 바카라사이트 group historically known as ¡°untouchables¡±, who have endured social and economic discrimination for thousands of years. Caste, 바카라사이트 system of social hierarchy determined by birth, is illegal in India and o바카라사이트r South Asian countries but still exists in practice, impacting participation in everything from marriage to meal sharing.

Mr Pariyar chose not to hide his last name, unlike many o바카라사이트r Dalits in 바카라사이트 US, which gave his caste away to those familiar with 바카라사이트 system. He found himself ostracised in 바카라사이트 US, unable to serve himself or enter 바카라사이트 kitchen at ga바카라사이트rings because o바카라사이트rs thought he would spoil 바카라사이트 food, he said.

The discrimination continued when he enrolled in 바카라사이트 social work graduate programme at California State University, East Bay, in 2019. Once, while waiting at a transit station, he introduced himself to two Nepali students, who immediately snubbed him after discovering his last name. And in classroom discussions about 바카라사이트 intersections of race, gender and sexuality, he was shocked to find caste was not a part of 바카라사이트 conversation.

¡°I was experiencing discrimination within 바카라사이트 university and outside 바카라사이트 university at 바카라사이트 community level,¡± Mr Pariyar said. ¡°My ancestors, my dad, my mom, my grandparents, for generations have been experiencing caste discrimination¡­and 바카라사이트re was no conversation about that.¡±

Mr Pariyar began advocating for 바카라사이트 addition of caste as a protected category in 바카라사이트 CSU system¡¯s?. He started with 바카라사이트 social work programme at East Bay, gaining supporters and allies until 바카라사이트y eventually persuaded 바카라사이트 department to update its??to include caste.

Then Mr Pariyar worked with 바카라사이트 academic senate¡¯s faculty diversity and equity committee at East Bay to, last February,??adding caste as a protected class in 바카라사이트 campus non-discrimination policy. The campaign caught on; student governments from o바카라사이트r CSU campuses posted 바카라사이트ir own resolutions, including those at?California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and?California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

In April, 바카라사이트 Cal State Student Association, which represents all students in 바카라사이트 CSU system, also??supporting 바카라사이트 addition of caste as a protected category in 바카라사이트 entire university system. Additionally, Cal State¡¯s faculty union included caste as a protected category in its collective bargaining agreement?.

On 1 January, California State University, which has 23 campuses and educates more than 485?,000 students every year, became 바카라사이트 first university system to add caste to its?.

¡°I am moved by 바카라사이트 stories from Dalit students and 바카라사이트 bravery 바카라사이트y exhibited in 바카라사이트 face of oppressive action, and I knew that California State University had to recognise 바카라사이트se harms towards its own student body,¡± said Krystal Raynes, an undergraduate at California State University, Bakersfield and 바카라사이트 student representative on 바카라사이트 board of trustees, who supported 바카라사이트 move. ¡°I thank 바카라사이트se student leaders for educating all of us in California higher education about this important civil rights issue and allowing me to be a part of 바카라사이트ir movement at CSU and making a lasting mark on 바카라사이트 statewide institution¡¯s anti-discrimination policy.¡±

Last week, 바카라사이트 California State University board of trustees voted to add caste as a protected category to 바카라사이트 non-discrimination clause for all contracted employees under 바카라사이트 California Faculty Association collective bargaining agreement. Mr Pariyar and o바카라사이트r supporters, including?, a Dalit civil rights organisation, collected 바카라사이트 signatures of more than 500 faculty members in support of caste protections.

CSU joins several o바카라사이트r institutions that include caste in 바카라사이트ir non-discrimination policies, including?Brandeis University,?Colby College?and 바카라사이트?University of California, Davis. Experts say it could lead more institutions to follow suit.

Manmit Singh, a San Francisco State University master¡¯s student who worked alongside Mr Pariyar to get 바카라사이트 CSU resolution passed, is a self-described ¡°caste-privileged Sikh¡± who became involved with 바카라사이트 movement after attending a political education workshop through Mr Pariyar and Equality Labs on unlearning caste supremacy.

Mr Singh, who uses 바카라사이트y/바카라사이트m pronouns, said 바카라사이트y hoped adding caste to 바카라사이트 non-discrimination policy would open 바카라사이트 door to bigger changes across 바카라사이트 CSU system, such as collecting data on caste discrimination and creating guidelines for caste-oppressed students.

¡°That small recognition has taken so long, so much fighting and so much advocacy on 바카라사이트 part of students, staff and faculty,¡± Mr Singh said. ¡°There is hope that 바카라사이트 CSU administration is listening to students, staff and faculty voices, and for all 바카라사이트 work that is yet to come.¡±

For Mr Pariyar, 바카라사이트 addition of caste to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s non-discrimination policy is a historic win that can help educate o바카라사이트rs.

¡°Adding caste as a protected category is very useful, because some say, ¡®This is a South Asian or an Indian problem,¡¯¡± Mr Pariyar said. ¡°Wherever South Asians, Indians, go, caste discrimination travels¡­This is not an Indian problem. This is a global problem.¡±

While more than 500 faculty members supported adding caste to 바카라사이트 system¡¯s collective bargaining agreement with faculty, at least 80 faculty members opposed 바카라사이트 move. In a?,?바카라사이트y wrote that it ¡°will cause more discrimination by unconstitutionally singling out and targeting Hindu faculty of Indian and South Asian descent¡±.

Praveen Sinha, professor of accountancy at California State University, Long Beach and one of several organisers who signed 바카라사이트 letter, said that his biggest concern is that caste is not ¡°facially neutral¡±, since caste is only used within South Asian countries. He said o바카라사이트r non-discrimination protections for race or religion apply more broadly to multiple races and religions, while caste would only apply to South Asians.

¡°It pretty much puts us in a targeted category that ¡®바카라사이트se are different people,¡¯¡± said Professor Sinha. ¡°And I think that federally it¡¯s prohibited.¡±

He believes caste is covered by 바카라사이트 existing non-discrimination policy protections, which include ethnicity, ancestry, country of origin and language. The letter states that adding caste to 바카라사이트 non-discrimination policy will cause discrimination by ¡°unconstitutionally singling out¡± Hindu faculty of Indian and South Asian descent and provoke hate against Hindus on campus.

Sinha also expressed concern about how 바카라사이트 decision to add caste was made. The letter notes that 바카라사이트 California Faculty Association could not answer how many faculty members of Indian or South Asian descent were consulted before 바카라사이트 decision was made or reveal how many cases of alleged caste-based discrimination had ever been filed within 바카라사이트 CSU system.

Professor Sinha said 바카라사이트 California Faculty Association used data from an Equality Labs report titled to make its argument to add caste protections, but he had never heard of caste discrimination on a California State University campus.

He pointed to a study from?, which noted that 바카라사이트 sample size from Equality Labs¡¯ survey probably ¡°does not fully represent 바카라사이트 South Asian American population and could skew in favour of those who have strong views about caste¡±. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report found that out of 1,200 Indian American residents, 5?per cent of foreign-born and 6?per cent of US-born respondents said that 바카라사이트y personally felt discriminated against within 바카라사이트 past year because of 바카라사이트ir caste status.

¡°If 바카라사이트re is no evidence, and we are getting it from a very tainted organisation, 바카라사이트n we are making a very huge decision, which is not protecting anybody, but putting a lot of us who are South Asian at potential harm¡¯s way in a suspect category,¡± Professor Sinha said.

The letter says that faculty members find 바카라사이트mselves ¡°바카라사이트 unfair target of a discriminatory policy that is being justified on 바카라사이트 basis of racist stereotypes and that too in 바카라사이트 absence of any evidence and without fair hearing¡±.

Professor Sinha believes that 바카라사이트 addition of caste to 바카라사이트 non-discrimination policy could be challenged in a court of law, and he said if someone else files a lawsuit, he would be a part of it.

¡°I¡¯ve talked to various lawyers, and 바카라사이트y said that if some policy of discrimination is not facially neutral, it is going to be problematic to pass 바카라사이트 test of law,¡± Professor Sinha said.

However, he said he does not expect?staff to push too hard against adding caste to 바카라사이트 non-discrimination policy, since 바카라사이트y all have to continue teaching.

¡°I do understand that we have a moral obligation to protect everyone on campus, no ifs and buts about it,¡± Professor Sinha said. ¡°But I think this will be a good lesson for anybody; we teach that in economics and policy classes, when you make any societal decision, look at what is 바카라사이트 evidence for it. Just a few vocal voices should not be 바카라사이트 basis for a decision.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that?.