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Caste in America

Produced with funding from the Pulitzer Center and in partnership with WGBH.

Hands hold a round white cloth circle with George Floyd's face in the middle that reads, "Justice 4 all stolen lives"

Report: UN rights chief Bachelet calls for states to ‘stop denying and start dismantling racism’

Race

A report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, sparked by George Floyd’s death, shows that police brutality against Black people around the world has been allowed to continue with impunity.

Tourists at the mingling with Stone Mountain and colorful trees in the background

Stone Mountain — home to the largest Confederate monument in the US — is celebrating its first Juneteenth

History
Aerial view of a Hindu temple next to a parking lot and greenery.

Lawsuits bring attention to caste discrimination in the US

Caste in America
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris are seated prior to participating in a briefing on the pandemic from public health officials during a campaign stop in Wilmington, Del.

How Indian Americans are reacting to Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s VP pick

Identity
A decorative ornament on sale at the White House of the Confederacy.

Confederate Christmas ornaments are smaller than statues — but they send the same racist message

street

Dalit Americans make a pilgrimage to Ambedkar Avenue, named for civil rights hero

Caste in America

There’s a short stretch of road in the “Little India” section of Jersey City bearing a name unfamiliar to most Americans.  But for some Indian Americans, Ambedkar Avenue is almost a pilgrimage spot, for it commemorates their greatest hero — and one with an American connection at that.

A large group of people sit on a wooden boat with a man rowing at the head of the boat toward a golden colored city at night.

In ‘Twice Born,’ author Aatish Taseer explores the impact of caste in today’s India

Caste in America

Aatish Taseer talks with The World’s Marco Werman about his experiences with caste in modern-day India and describes one of the most revealing moments from his new book, “The Twice Born: Life and Death on the Ganges.”

A woman looks to the side.

Caste discrimination exists on college campuses. Some schools are trying to change that.

Caste in America

Brandeis University has moved to ban caste-based discrimination in its own campus policy. Other universities may be following suit.

An man sits at a desk with a book and looks at the camera

The US isn’t safe from the trauma of caste bias

Caste in America

Many Dalits say the kind of caste-based discrimination and violence that erupts in India also exist in the US.

An Indian woman in a sari and glasses and an Indian man in a suit and glasses sit for a portrait.

Love conquers caste for this couple, but Indian marriage traditions continue in US

Caste in America

The writer’s parents defied Hindu conventions by marrying in India outside their caste, but decades later, members of her father’s upper caste promote sticking with tradition in America.