Seattle becomes first city in the United States to outlaw caste discrimination

Seattle has become the first city in the United States to outlaw caste discrimination after an Indian-American politician and economist introduced a resolution to include caste in its non-discrimination policy.

The resolution, proposed by upper-caste Hindu Kshama Sawant, was approved by the Seattle City Council by a vote of six to one. The result of the vote could have far-reaching impacts on the issue of caste discrimination in the United States. 

Shortly after the resolution was passed, "It's official: our campaign has won a historic, first-of-its-kind ban on caste discrimination in Seattle! We must create a movement to spread this victory across the country, said Sawant, a city council member. 

Hours before the vote, Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal supported the move. Jayapal said, "Caste discrimination has no place in any society, including America. Therefore, some colleges and universities have banned it on campus, and workers are fighting for their rights and dignity in cases involving caste discrimination."

Equality Labs, the brain behind the anti-caste discrimination resolution in Seattle and which has been spearheading a nationwide campaign, said, "Love has won over hate as Seattle has become the first in the nation to ban caste discrimination. We have faced rape and death threats and misinformation, and bigotry." It has formed a coalition of about 200 organisations to support its efforts.

According to Equality Labs, the coalition is led by a network of more than 30 anti-caste Ambedkarite organisations. The Ambedkar King Study Circle, Ambedkar International Center, Ambedkarite Buddhist Association of Texas, and Boston Study Group are among them.

The Hindu American Foundation, which had campaigned against the resolution, claimed that singling out South Asians and adding 'caste' to the non-discrimination policy violates the policies it now amends.

"Under the guise of non-discrimination, the City of Seattle has voted to treat South Asians (and Southeast Asians and Africans) so that no other ethnic or racial community is treated. It has voted in favour of discriminating against ethnic minorities, mirroring the ugliness of nativists in the state nearly a century ago," said Suhag Shukla, co-founder and executive director of the Hindu American Foundation.

Seattle is now in violation of the US Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and due process by passing this resolution, which prohibits the state from treating people differently based on their national origin, ethnicity, or religion and implementing a vague, facially discriminatory, and arbitrary category alleges Shukla.

According to HAF managing director Samir Kalra, Seattle has made a dangerous mistake by institutionalising bias against all residents of Indian and South Asian origin in the name of preventing bias.

When Seattle should be protecting its residents' civil rights, it is violating them by trampling on the most fundamental rights in US law, all people being treated equally, said Kalra.

Ambedkar-Phule Network of American Dalits and Bahujans, Madhu T said an 'ill-intended and rushed' ordinance by a 'controversial council member' will only harm South Asians, particularly Dalits and Bahujans.

"It is traumatising to see a propaganda that is no less than a war on Dalits get this far, with no data and a fraudulent survey, while the true Dalit Bahujan voices remain unheard," Madhu continued. 

"The 2022 report by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania not only discredited the caste survey referred to by Seattle City Council, but it also demonstrated that there are multiple reasons for discrimination, such as 'country of origin,' gender, and 'skin colour,' that must be addressed. The ordinance will only increase anti-South Asian sentiment, including anti-Dalit sentiment," said V Kadam of the Dalit Bahujan Solidarity Network.

Many Indian Americans are concerned that codifying caste in public policy will exacerbate Hinduphobia in the United States. Ten Hindu temples and five statues, including those of Mahatma Gandhi and Maratha emperor Shivaji, have been vandalised in the United States over the last three years as an intimidation tactic against the Hindu community.

Indian Americans are the country's second-largest immigrant group. According to data from the US Census Bureau's 2018 American Community Survey (ACS), there are 4.2 million people of Indian origin living in the United States. India outlawed caste discrimination in 1948 and the policy was enshrined in the Constitution in 1950.

(With inputs from PTI)

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• Indian American
• Non-discrimination policy
• Seattle
• United States