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Caste bias in corporate America

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Business Daily: Caste bias in corporate America

Bulletins

08/11/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Business Daily, Caste bias in corporate America

South Asian Americans share their experiences of discrimination they've faced at work

We find out how the caste system has become a challenge for members of the South Asian community working in the US.

There is a growing debate in the US about the caste system - an ancient social ranking system where the community you are born into determines what kind of job you do, who you marry, and much more. 

The caste system in India dates back over 3,000 years and divides Hindu society into different social strata. In many South Asian countries, it is outlawed. But members of the South Asian diaspora in the US say this type of caste bias persists, and there is often very little protection at workplaces against it.

For the community, opinions are divided. Seattle in Washington was the first city to ban discrimination based on caste. But the fight continues for activists in California, where a bill that sought to ban discrimination was vetoed in October. Opponents called it a "divisive bill" that "implicitly singles out" South Asians.

In this edition of Business Daily, Devina Gupta speaks to workers who have experienced such discrimination, and explores some of the challenges for lawmakers seeking to ban it.

(Image: A group from Equality Labs at a rally in September 2023, pushing for a law to ban caste discrimination. Credit: Getty Images)

Presented and produced by Devina Gupta

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