California's caste bias bill clears first legislative hurdle
Source: Associated Press
California’s caste bias bill clears first legislative hurdle
By DEEPA BHARATH
April 25, 2023
A bill that would outlaw caste discrimination in California has cleared its first big legislative hurdle.
On Tuesday, the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the legislation, sending it on to the next committee for consideration. If passed, the bill could make California the first state in the nation to make caste bias illegal by adding it as a protected category in the state’s anti-discrimination laws.
State Sen. Aisha Wahab, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the state legislature, introduced the bill last month. Tuesday’s hearing showed just how contentious the issue has been in the South Asian community, with hundreds of supporters and opponents gathering outside the state capitol with signs.
“We’ve hit a nerve and exposed a form of discrimination many never even knew existed,” said Wahab, D-Hayward, who told committee members that she has received death threats after proposing this legislation.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/caste-discrimination-california-south-asian-c6f8b17c0da1120991baa74bef525f51