We applaud Rutgers University for taking a crucial step toward addressing caste inequity through the recent University task force report on Caste Discrimination in Higher Education and at Rutgers. Global caste systems enforce discrimination through inherited social status. They are a systemic injustice that has long been overlooked in the United States, despite its prevalence in many American institutions including higher education. That is why the findings of this report are so crucial. By recommending to add caste as a protected category, Rutgers has an opportunity to lead the way in creating equitable spaces for all, especially for caste-oppressed faculty, students, and workers who experience this bias.
The testimonies presented in Rutgers’ task force report are a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address caste-based exclusion, harassment, and inequities in higher education. Caste is not an abstract concept; it is a harsh reality for millions. Caste discrimination spans across industries and includes bullying, harassment, bias, wage theft, sexual harassment, and even trafficking. Caste-oppressed individuals have also been denied rental housing upon the discovery of their caste identity. This issue has gained significant attention in New Jersey following human trafficking allegations against the BAPS temples, where caste-oppressed workers were held against their will and paid just a dollar an hour under inhumane conditions.
In New Jersey there are many communities who suffer caste discrimination in their communities from Africa, South Asia, Asia, and Indigenous residents of the state. Students, faculty and staff from these backgrounds must be able to access the campus as a place of learning and as a workplace free from discrimination and harm.
From workplace discrimination to campus bullying, the insidious impacts of caste privilege have been well-documented by marginalized communities, In our own 2016 report Caste in the United States we have found caste oppressed people face alarming discrimination and harassment with 1 in 4 facing physical and verbal assault, 1 in 3 education discrimination and 2 out 3 workplace discrimination.
As a U.S.-based civil rights group we urge Rutgers’ administration to fully adopt the task force’s recommendations and implement robust enforcement mechanisms. This includes education on caste equity for students, staff, and faculty and meaningful support for those who come forward with experiences of caste-based harm.
As Rutgers advances this work, we caution against narratives that dismiss caste protections as “anti-Hindu” or as targeting specific communities. Such arguments weaponize bad faith arguments and privilege to silence Dalit voices and maintain systems of oppression. Caste is found across multiple geographies and faiths and it must be addressed as its own system of exclusion. We believe in fostering dialogue that centers the experiences of the most vulnerable while rejecting extremist rhetoric that masquerades falsely as a defense of cultural identity.
Rutgers’ initiative is part of a broader, necessary movement to confront caste oppression in the United States. We look forward to standing alongside other universities and institutions in their journey toward caste equity. Together, we can build communities where everyone can thrive with dignity and equal opportunity.
In solidarity,
Equality Labs