California is poised to become the first state to outlaw discrimination based on a person’s caste. The system of social stratification, which dates back thousands of years, has been outlawed in India and Nepal for decades.
Amy Qin, a correspondent who covers Asian American communities for The Times, explains why so many believe a prejudice that originated on the other side of the globe now requires legal protection in the U.S. — and why so many are equally convinced that it would be a bad idea.
Guest: Amy Qin, a national correspondent covering Asian American communities for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- The bill, recently passed by the California State Legislature, has led to intense debate among South Asian immigrants.
- Meena Kotwal, a Dalit journalist, started a news outlet focused on marginalized groups in India, hoping that telling their stories would help improve their lives.
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