UC Davis adds caste to its anti-discrimination policy

DAVIS, Calif. (AP) — The University of California, Davis, has added caste — a classification system in South Asia that assigns people their social statuses at birth — to its anti-discrimination policy. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday that 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 university in Northern California is the first known public institution to address caste discrimination, a lesser-known form of oppression in American society that is largely imported from South Asia and that has surfaced among Indian workers in Silicon Valley.