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How India’s caste system manifests in Seattle-area workplaces and beyond
Feb. 20, 2023 at 6:00 am Updated Feb. 20, 2023 at 6:39 am
By Naomi Ishisaka
Seattle Times columnist
Maya thought she left caste-based discrimination behind when she came to the U.S. from India to pursue her studies, but she was shocked to discover she was wrong.
Maya is Dalit, the most oppressed caste in India’s caste hierarchy. She said when she arrived about 20 years ago, it was a rare thing for a young woman like her to be able to pursue a master’s degree, as caste-oppressed people often lack financial resources to do so.
Maya, who asked to use a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation from dominant-caste people for speaking out, now lives in the Washington, D.C., area and works for a Seattle-based tech company. She said she first experienced caste-based discrimination in the U.S. when she arrived as a student and lived in shared apartments with other Indians.
“People would only want to live with roommates from their own caste,” she said...