Equality Labs, a South Asian American start-up, to host congressional briefing on caste discrimination in United States

Equality Labs, a South Asian American human rights start-up, has organised on 22 May a congressional briefing on Caste Discrimination in the United States in order to highlight the impact of this phenomenon in American spaces and institutions.

Brought about in partnership with South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) and API Chaya, this conversation aims to address the Congressional staff on the issue using both, quantitative data and anecdotal experiences of South Asian Americans who have been subjected to caste-based discrimination.

Director of Equality Labs, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, said of the event, “This is a historic briefing because it is the first time caste discrimination in the United States is being acknowledged and being openly discussed by Congressional staffers. We will have representatives from all of the major progressive South Asian organisations.”

One of the objectives of Equality Labs behind the briefing is to enable congressional members better understand the problem of Caste. The organisation that works with South Asian religious, ethnic and cultural minority movements dealing with intractable systems of oppression, will also offer solutions to those present that would help them support caste-oppressed Americans, businesses, and institutions in their respective districts.

Soundararajan noted that they have community leaders from over fifteen states around the country who will be taking their findings to respective constituency representatives after the briefing. It will be hosted by Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal in Washington.