Seattle Becomes First City in the U.S. to Ban Caste Discrimination

Seattle became the first city to ban discrimination based on caste after a Tuesday vote by the city council.

The move to add caste to the city’s anti-discrimination laws was spearheaded by Kshama Sawant, a member of the Socialist Alternative party and an Indian American. Dating back 3,000 years, the caste system rigidly divides Hindu society into a hierarchy based on birth or descent.