Why California is taking on caste-based discrimination

Historic bill aims to ban prejudice based on caste system, practiced for centuries in the Indian subcontinent, in the state

Last month state senator Aisha Wahab introduced SB 403, a historic bill that, if enacted, would make California the first state to ban caste-based discrimination in the US.

Practiced for centuries in the Indian subcontinent, caste is an exclusionary system within the Hindu religion that divides people and determines their access to resources. Unlike class, caste is an ascribed status; there's no mobility to move upwards. Generally, Brahmin communities are in the highest social order, whereas the Dalit community is at the bottom.