California [US], October 9: California (USA) Governor Gavin Newsom on October 7 (local time) vetoed a bill recently passed by the state legislature to ban discrimination based on "caste". level), arguing that current law already prohibits discrimination based on ancestry so this bill is "unnecessary".
California's bill targets the "caste" system within South Asian and Hindu immigrant communities. If Mr. Newsom signs the bill, California will become the first US state to have a law clearly prohibiting discrimination based on "caste", according to Reuters.
Mr. Newsom's latest decision is considered a major setback for activists supporting the bill. US law prohibits discrimination based on ancestry, although it does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on caste.
The anti-caste movement in North America has gained momentum in recent months. Earlier this year, Seattle (in Washington state) became the first US city to ban discrimination based on class, and the Toronto school board in Canada admitted that this situation still exists in the city's schools.
The Hindu "caste" system is one of the oldest forms of rigid social stratification in the world. This system gives many privileges to the upper classes but oppresses the lower classes. The Dalit community is at the lowest level of the system and is considered "untouched".
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper
