By Sameea Kamal | CalMatters | United States |
An effort to ban caste discrimination in California survived in committee today, despite months of opposition organized by groups that alleged the bill would unfairly target South Asians.
Senate Bill 403, authored by Fremont Democratic Sen. Aisha Wahab, would add caste — a centuries-old social hierarchy system that has historically determined what jobs or education people can attain — to the list of protected classes in the state’s civil rights, employment and housing laws, alongside race, gender and sexual orientation.
What would be the first law of its kind in the nation has been watered down somewhat, but was approved in a 9-0 vote by the Assembly Judiciary Committee and now goes to the full Assembly. The Senate approved a similar version by a 34-1 vote in May.
The bill that passed through the committee today includes amendments added over the weekend that categorize caste as a subset of ancestry — an already protected trait under state anti-discrimination laws. Wahab accepted that amendment, saying it represented a concept of the bill her office “discussed at length weeks ago.”
But the senator rejected earlier suggestions from Assembly Judiciary Chairperson Brian Maienschein, a San Diego Democrat, to remove the word “caste” from the bill and replace it with “inherited social status.”
“SB 403 will end caste discrimination. The definition and protections included in this bill will protect millions,” Wahab said in a statement after the committee’s hearing, which drew around 200 people representing both sides.
Supporters say current laws don’t go far enough to protect against caste-based discrimination because it’s difficult to make such claims against an employer or potential landlord who may share the same race or national origin.
“SB 403 is a critical bill to make California a just and equitable place for all,” said workplace lawyer Tarina Mand, one of the two witnesses who spoke in support of the bill.
Reaf the full report here.
Meanwhile, Nirvair Singh writes in Religious News Service (RNS):
The bill to ban caste-based discrimination in California, SB 403, moved a little closer to passage on Wednesday (July 5) as the state Assembly’s Judiciary Committee passed the bill 9-0 with two abstentions. The measure, which has already passed the Senate, now heads to a vote in the full Assembly, where its opponents have vowed to “educate lawmakers on the issue” to avoid its passage.
As a Sikh American, I am no stranger to bias. Our community has experienced hate firsthand since our earliest arrival in the United States, from the anti-Sikh violence in Bellingham, Washington, in 1907 to more recent discrimination in the aftermath of 9/11. To those outside our community, this persecution may seem insignificant. But when it is you, your parents or your children who suffer, you gain an appreciation for the need to do anything you can to make society safer and more inclusive for all.
You can read the full article here.
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