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Report questions efficacy of process to end caste discrimination in the U.S.
Caste in the U.S. has been in the news since California state attempted to introduce a law to ban caste-based discrimination.
Stock image. / Pexels
A study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University scrutinizes caste-focused diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, raising questions about the prevalence of caste discrimination in the US.
The report analyses caste has a “social hierarchy originating from British and Portuguese colonial policies in South Asia.”
It then outlines potential harms associated with DEI programming, such as heightened suspicion, punitive attitudes, and a self-reinforcing cycle of intolerance. It also stresses the absence of independent review mechanisms for DEI materials and calls for more rigorous evaluations.
The report examines DEI materials addressing race, religion, and caste. For religion, anti-Islamophobia content from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) was evaluated, while caste-focused materials included those from Equality Labs, a prominent advocate for addressing caste discrimination in North America. Race-related interventions relied on texts by prominent DEI scholars.
Richa Gautam, founder of CasteFiles, a US based advocacy thinktank welcomed the report, stating, “We feel deeply gratified and validated by the findings of the NCRI study. It reinforces our mission to promote mature and nuanced discussions on identity, free from the divisive rhetoric and ‘Hostile Attribution Bias’ identified by NCRI in these trainings.”
CasteFiles legal director Abhijit Bagal criticized mainstream media for sidelining these findings. “What is even more troubling is the suppression of the NCRI study by mainstream outlets, which instead amplify one-sided narratives on DEI,” he said.
Critics argue that the report risks framing these programs as inherently flawed without providing comparable scrutiny of alternative approaches to combating systemic bias.
Caste in the U.S. has been in the news since California state attempted to introduce a law to ban caste-based discrimination. The Hindu American Foundation at the time lobbied against the bill, calling it a "divisive bill" that "implicitly singles out" South Asians.
The bill was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct.7, which was met with forceful approval from the Hindu diaspora in the U.S.
While the researchers advocate for “data-driven pressure testing” of DEI programs, the report is sparking discussions about the objectivity of its conclusions. As DEI initiatives continue to evolve, balancing constructive critique with recognition of their broader goals will likely remain a key challenge in assessing their effectiveness.
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