University of California adds caste to its anti-discrimination policy after student complaints pile in

The University of California, Davis, has added caste to its anti-discrimination policy after students said they have seen discrimination take place at the university, the Associated Press reported. Under UC Davis’ policy, which was amended in September, students or staff who face discrimination or harassment for their perceived castes can now file complaints that could result in formal investigations, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

The Northern California university may be the first public institution to address caste discrimination, which was largely imported from South Asia. “The significance of adding caste is it ensures that the communities most impacted and most vulnerable to this type of discrimination or harassment know that the university recognizes the harm caused,” Danésha Nichols, director of UC Davis’ Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program reportedly said.

Students started pushing for the change after receiving insulting memes in their group chats and overhearing South Asian students ask each other what caste they belonged to before picking roommates, the newspaper reported.

Prem Pariyar, a 37-year-old graduate student at California State University (CSU), East Bay, said his family would be physically assaulted because of their lower caste in his home country of Nepal. He said the last thing he expected was to face casteism when he moved to the US in 2015. But he faced it when interacting with other South Asians in the Bay Area — at his restaurant job, at the university, at community events and at dinner parties. “Some will ask me my last name under the pretense of getting to know me, but are really trying to find out about my caste. Others have served me meals in separate plates and utensils after they find out I’m Dalit,”  Pariyar said.

He started organising with other CSU students around the issue and their efforts led the Cal State Student Association, which represents all 23 CSU campuses, to recognise caste as a protected category this year. But the CSU school system itself has not made any changes to its discrimination policy. Pariyar was also part of the UC Davis campaign. UC Davis' policy change feels like a big step for those trying to get caste discrimination recognised across the US. “It is an issue, it’s here and it’s time to deal with it,” he said.