Northwestern Adds Caste to University to Non-Discrimination Policy

In a major victory for caste justice in Illinois, Northwestern University recently announced the decision to add caste-based discrimination to its non-discrimination policy. SACRED congratulates the student and faculty organizers whose tireless advocacy has won this consequential civil rights victory.

The movement to end caste discrimination in the U.S. has gained momentum in recent years. Global technology firms, most prominently Apple, have taken action to end caste discrimination through employee policies, Reuters reported. Colleges and universities––including Brandeis, Harvard, and Colby Colleges as well as the 23 campuses of California State University––have also instituted policies against caste discrimination, CNN reported. In the Midwest, the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota have taken similar actions. SACRED continues to support efforts to end caste discrimination in Illinois, including in the workplace and higher education spaces.

U.S. Census data shows that Illinois’ South Asian American population grew by nearly 100,000 in the 2010s to 337,000 residents in 2020. Illinois’ South Asian American population is estimated to represent about 42 percent of the state’s Asian American population, according to a South Asian American Policy & Research Institute report. Moreover, Chicago has the second largest Indian population of any metro area in the U.S. and Illinois is one of the top five states for South Asian American communities in the U.S, according to the Pew Research Center and a 2015 SAADA report.

Despite a large, diverse, and vibrant South Asian American community where many regularly endure caste bias and discrimination, there is no localized, legal referral service in place to assist community members experiencing caste discrimination in knowing what to do next. SACRED continues to work on addressing this and welcomes support to continue the fight for caste equity and caste justice.