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Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

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Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#641

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Educating people like me about that would suddenly create the ability for them to identify a difference that they wouldn't have noticed before. This seemingly small insight goes miles toward explaining the current American obsession with racial and gender identity. Gender/racial/age discrimination are not surface-level obvious in America these days, which is why once people are told they're being victimized and di…

> Gender/racial/age discrimination are not surface-level obvious in America these days Yeah yea, tell that to the people who "ching chong" me whenever I leave the liberal coasts. Incredible how you people paint one of America's greatest strengths, one that few other countries possess - the willingness to speak about racial problems and create a real _home_ for talented immigrants - as a bad thing. There's a reason pe…

> "the unobsessed French, 22.7% of whom are unwilling to live next to non-white neighbors"

Numbers like that tell you little more than how blunt the French are, and what's considered acceptable to tell a pollster over the phone.

The real data is in the ground truth of ethnic divides.

I'm pretty sure the US's "white flight" phenomenon and its self-segregated inner cities are more pronounced than anything happening in France.

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#642
post #574
post #529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American caste is just money though.

Money, education, Mayflower ancestor, eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, distant relative of some famous or wealthy family, member of some social clubs (even inexpensive ones), and so on. Edit: but as many other folks are mentioning, this is class and not caste. You'll notice that around half of the things I've mentioned are something you're born with.

Honest question, in what situations have you been in where you were aware that someone had a Mayflower ancestor or was eligible for the Daughters of the Revolution?

That has literally never happened to me.

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#643
post #559

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take a look at the brown-eye-blue-eye experiment that a teacher did with her students. Everyone already knew the color of their eye, but no one gave it much significance. But as soon as the teacher started talking about the socioeconomic-status associated with eye color, students immediately divided themselves and started fighting over eye color. Never underestimate people's ability to segregate themselves using what…

Which is why generating a sense of racial grievance in their electorate is such a powerful and dangerous tool for populists both left and right.

Yep, and look how well it's working. We've gone from occupy wall st, which was about ultra-extreme-unbelievably-rich vs everyone else, to the "culture war", which is everyone except the ultra rich vs each other. I hate it so much.

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#644
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not just caste discrimination, but also sexism. I have worked at least three companies where if there were Indian women, the vast majority were in QA.

Is QA lower tier work in most places? Isn't that bass-ackwards?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_value

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#645

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you’re a woman. Or minority. Or go to school. Or go shopping. Or go to the movies.

Women and minorities have it pretty good here, so I hope you’re joking.

Pretty good compared to what?

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#646

> After Gupta posted a link in the email group to a petition to reinstate the talk, respondents argued that caste discrimination does not exist, that caste is not a thing in the United States, and that efforts to raise awareness of these issues in the United States would sow further division. > Some called caste equity a form of reverse discrimination against the highest-ranked castes because of India’s affirmative a…

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Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#647
post #646

> After Gupta posted a link in the email group to a petition to reinstate the talk, respondents argued that caste discrimination does not exist, that caste is not a thing in the United States, and that efforts to raise awareness of these issues in the United States would sow further division. > Some called caste equity a form of reverse discrimination against the highest-ranked castes because of India’s affirmative a…

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Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#648

I’ve got this impression that all these diversity and equality programs employed by large American corporations are annoying to some and lame generally because they are astoundingly myopic. Like, they do a vastly simplified, explain-like-I’m-five take on these issues (blah blah white male middle- and upper-class are evil type of thing) and tackle it with full ineptitude of five-year-olds. I think a lot of people bene…

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Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#649
post #502

> After Gupta posted a link in the email group to a petition to reinstate the talk, respondents argued that caste discrimination does not exist, that caste is not a thing in the United States, and that efforts to raise awareness of these issues in the United States would sow further division. > Some called caste equity a form of reverse discrimination against the highest-ranked castes because of India’s affirmative a…

I think the argument that "efforts to raise awareness of these issues in the United States would sow further division" isn't totally without merit. As an America-born Indian-American, I honestly don't know what my caste is beyond knowing I'm not Brahmin (I didn't do the string ceremony some of my childhood family friends did), and have basically zero idea of how I'd identify someone else's caste. I imagine that that'…

I'm a little surprised to see "promote ignorance" as a "solution" to a problem some people face.

Certainly not every non-Brahmin of Indian descent in America experiences caste-based discrimination, and I expect there are some who, like you, don't even know much about it. But I don't think it's fair to those who have experienced this sort of discrimination to just say "we're not going to talk about it because it might be better for people who don't know about it to continue not knowing about it".

Re: Google cancelled a talk on caste bias

#650
post #398

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hey there! Thanks for writing this. One question I've always had is, how do you know you're Dalit if you were born outside of India? How do others? Especially, say, when meeting other Indians in some tech company in the US?

If you’re a Dalit, you’d know. As I mention in the post, membership to a caste is granted by birth. If both your parents are Dalit, you’re a Dalit too. How do others know: it’s not obvious. Dalits either change their last name to something common enough to not have any caste indicator. They’d avoid any discussion on caste. So effectively, they hide but there are some who don’t and keep their last name. Still, not eve…

Sorry if this is a sensitive topic but why don't you just say you are a brahmin/christian/muslim? How would they know?
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