Seattle becomes the first city in the US to ban caste discrimination

Category : International Published on: February 24 2023

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Seattle has become the first city in the US to ban caste discrimination, following the city council's decision to add caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws.
The move comes after growing calls from South Asian diaspora communities to outlaw discrimination based on caste.
Seattle City Council member Shashma Sawant, an Indian-American of American origin, presented the Seattle City Council Anti-Disparity Act, which was approved by all members and the act came into effect immediately.
The US is the second most popular destination for Indians living abroad, according to the Migration Policy Institute, which estimates the US diaspora grew from about 206,000 in 1980 to about 2.7 million in 2021.
Harvard University also instituted caste protections for student workers in 2021 as part of its contract with its graduate student union.
Caste discrimination has been banned in India since 1948, however, discrimination continues, especially against the Dalits, who were once called "untouchables".