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How To Be An Anti-Casteist

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Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#31

Post by talmr »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #17
clumsysmurf wrote: post #2

After an interview I attended at a fintech company, my Indian team lead straight out said she was trying to figure out the interviewee's cast. I was not familiar with the concept -- so my expression was mostly blank -- but she immediately followed up with "oh, I shouldn't have said that". I took no action, but wasn't sure what to do. After I learned more about it, I started to wonder where I was in this hierarchy. If…

I have Indian heritage, and I’m clueless about this. Are there dog whistles I’m missing?

I'm Indian and I've heard things like "koncha jaticha" said casually in a professional setting... Meaning which caste are you?

I was born in India and moved here when I was in school. It was shocking to me as well when I heard stuff like this.

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#32

Post by tharne »

I have to admit it's somewhat amusing to see how surprised some people are to realize that people who aren't white can be racist too. Humans don't change much culture to culture once you get past a lot of the more superficial stuff.

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#33

Post by klyrs »

clumsysmurf wrote: post #2

After an interview I attended at a fintech company, my Indian team lead straight out said she was trying to figure out the interviewee's cast. I was not familiar with the concept -- so my expression was mostly blank -- but she immediately followed up with "oh, I shouldn't have said that". I took no action, but wasn't sure what to do. After I learned more about it, I started to wonder where I was in this hierarchy. If…

I've witnessed coworkers asking "awkward questions" before. I take notes and report it to HR. YMMV, not all HR departments are created equally. If your employer doesn't take it seriously, you can send an anonymous note to the candidate, which could support a lawsuit or complaint to the labor board. They might change their tune

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#35

Post by talmr »

nosefrog wrote: post #29

What does "(ph)" mean in this context? > When Sam Cornelius (ph) first arrived...

I was also curious. Found it on wiki:

(ph), a notation used in transcripts to indicate that the transcriber does not know the spelling, usually of a name, and has spelled it as it was pronounced (phonetically)

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#37

Post by kleton »

gruez wrote: post #11
erklik wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In an interview, it seems to me as highly unethical and likely discrimination. Although, not sure if there are legal ramifications to this sort of thing though.

caste isn't a protected class so they might be fine legally.

Desi caste really is ethnicity which is a protected class- it is thousands of endogamous communities that have been that way for a long time. They might not look as distinct from each other as say Tutsis and Hutus, but I don't think you could formulate a definition of ethnicity that excludes South Asian castes.

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#38

Post by star-trek-fleet »

thewarrior wrote: post #24

There has been a lot of outrage over the past week in India over the rape of a lower caste woman by upper castes. The police sided with the culprits and forced the family to cremate the victim to destroy evidence. This is a common tactic by upper castes to spread terror and keep the lower castes in line. Goes to show how entrenched the system is especially outside the big cities.

Do you have an English source on this reported incident? It sounds beyond modern day concept of cruelty.

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#39

Post by viraptor »

topkai22 wrote: post #6
clumsysmurf wrote: post #2

After an interview I attended at a fintech company, my Indian team lead straight out said she was trying to figure out the interviewee's cast. I was not familiar with the concept -- so my expression was mostly blank -- but she immediately followed up with "oh, I shouldn't have said that". I took no action, but wasn't sure what to do. After I learned more about it, I started to wonder where I was in this hierarchy. If…

Immediately remind the person that doing that goes against our company goals and culture.

I've witnessed that and it works. You don't have to argue or make a big issue in some way. Just state that X is an equal person deserving same respect as all of you. Nobody's likely to call you out or complain about that statement.

Re: How To Be An Anti-Casteist

#40

Post by la6471 »

This interview seems one sided though. I know that for last two decades Brahmins and other so called upper caste Indians have been protesting India’s quota system which is basically affirmative action whereby certain percentages of college seats and job vacancies are reserved only for people who do not belong to the upper castes. So there have been numerous occasions where meritorious but poor upper caste youths did not get seats in colleges or were not selected in government or non government jobs and they went to the people from non Brahmin castes who were financially better off. Not trying to make a judgement here but just want to expose both sides of the argument. And even in California we are planning to do the same where a certain percentage of college seats will be reserved for people from only certain ethnicity or background.
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