California passes ‘anti- caste discrimination' SB 403 bill: All you need to know

California became the first American state with a anti-caste discrimination bills when the California State Assembly approved the SB 403 bill on August 28th. This legislation, designed to amend anti-discrimination laws, aims to counteract bias against marginalized communities.

The California state senate had earlier given its nod to this legislation, making California poised to become the first US state to incorporate caste as a safeguarded category in its anti-discrimination laws.

The bill's sponsor, California State Senator Aisha Wahab, emphasized the importance of preventing discrimination linked to caste within organizations and companies. She stated earlier this year, "We want to ensure organisations and companies do not entrench caste discrimination in their practices or policies, and in order to do that we need to make it plainly clear that discrimination based on caste is against the law."

If passed, California will set a precedent by becoming the first state in the US to address caste discrimination through such legislation. The bill has gained traction with support from groups advocating for equality and fairness.

In response to today’s Assembly vote, the Hindu American Foundation’s Executive Director, Suhag Shukla said, “Today is a sad day. California has reawakened its racist past in passing legislation that demonizes and targets South Asians and Hindus. Fifty California legislators chose to side with anti-Hindu hate groups rather than showing moral courage and upholding the Constitution. When a state legislator pushes a law with the intent of targeting an ethnic community, it’s not only racist, it’s unconstitutional. We will explore every option to protect the rights of Hindu Californians. To the 27 legislators who abstained and the three who voted no, thank you for standing on the side of equality and justice.”

Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA) praised the decision and wrote, “Landmark. Historic. Unprecedented. We are proud to share that California state assembly passed anti caste discrimination bill #SB403 with overwhelming majority. This is what Educate, Agitate and Organize looks like.”

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California has encountered caste-related discussions previously. The state currently prohibits discrimination based on factors such as national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation. The case against Cisco in 2020 raised awareness about caste discrimination, resulting in tech companies introducing educational workshops on the topic.

Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, adapted its employee conduct policy to explicitly prohibit caste discrimination in 2020. Furthermore, both the California Democratic Party and the State University system incorporated anti-caste provisions.

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