Explore the origins of the caste system, rooted in political and economic factors rather than purity, pollution, or race.

For millions across India, a rigid caste system thousands of years old still dictates much of daily life – from social circles to dating pools to job opportunities and schooling. The Indian government ...

Discrimination against individuals based on caste would seem to be a relic of the past. Even in India, where the caste system was most rigid, the practice has been officially banned since 1950.

Seattle City Council outlawed caste-based discrimination this week, a centuries-old form of social stratification with roots in South Asia, following years of activist organizing and similar bans at ...

What is caste and caste discrimination? “Caste” or a “caste system” is a social hierarchy passed down through families and can dictate an individual’s permissible professions as well as aspects of ...

Why do people defend social systems that oppress them? Why do the marginalized sometimes work to uphold structures and arrangements that limit their potential? These questions are not just ...

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council has added caste to the city’s anti-discrimination laws, becoming the first U.S. city to specifically ban caste discrimination. Calls to outlaw discrimination based ...

Shailaja Paik was born into India’s Dalit community — one of the millions who belong to historically marginalized and oppressed castes due to their professions. They’re so scorned that they were for ...

SEATTLE — One of Kshama Sawant’s earliest memories of the caste system was hearing her grandfather — a man she “otherwise loved very much” — utter a slur to summon their lower-caste maid. The Seattle ...