When I sat down with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s latest Indian American Attitudes Survey, I couldn’t help but think back to the version I pored over during the darkest days of the pandemic. I had shared my reflections on the 2021 findings then (read my earlier take), and revisiting those numbers now helps ground what—if anything—has changed.
In 2021, Carnegie reported that 50% of Indian Americans experienced some form of social discrimination in the previous year. The most common basis was skin color (30%), followed by gender (18%) and religion (18%), with country of origin close behind (16%). Caste-based discrimination was reported at lower levels—present, but far less common. One perplexing detail the report authors flagged stands out: roughly one-third of people who reported caste-based discrimination said it came from individuals of non-Indian origin. Because caste is typically not identifiable by appearance, the authors reasonably speculated that some respondents may have misattributed the bias. That doesn’t soften the sting for anyone targeted, but it does raise legitimate questions about perception and categorization. The authors also noted that the widely cited survey by Equality Labs—often used to claim rampant casteism—suffered from substantial methodological flaws that make it unrepresentative of the broader picture.
Fast forward to the 2025 update, and the landscape looks surprisingly unchanged. This time, 49% of Indian Americans say they faced discrimination in the past year. Skin color remains the leading factor (31%), followed by country of origin (20%), religion (19%), gender (15%), and caste (7%).
The caste figure has edged up from 5% to 7%. Even if that translates to a low six-digit number of people nationwide, it’s serious—and it should prompt us to ask what exactly is happening. As someone focused on clarity and solutions, I’m left wanting better survey design. We need more granular questions about the nature of alleged caste discrimination: Who is experiencing it? Who is perpetrating it? Does it flow only from so-called upper castes toward so-called lower castes, or in multiple directions across the caste hierarchy? I’ve seen public statements about Brahmins and other varna that clearly read as bigotry—evidence that prejudice can, in fact, flow more than one way.
What’s new in this Carnegie wave is a question about whether we need specific new laws prohibiting caste discrimination. A large majority of respondents said yes. That question matters, especially given the recent flurry of proposals and lawsuits—most notably California’s SB 403—which ultimately failed when California Governor Gavin Newsom concluded such cases can be handled under existing protected categories.
But that very result opens the door to essential follow-ups the survey never asked. First, how many respondents know that, at least in California, caste-related incidents are already actionable under existing law? If they do know this, do they still support a new statutory category for caste?
Second, for those who still favor a new law, are they aware of the legal argument that caste is not an attribute every person has or can have—unlike other protected classes in U.S. law? After hearing that argument, do they still want a stand-alone category for caste? These are not “gotcha” questions; they’re the kind of clarity we need to craft effective, defensible policy.
Third, would responses change if participants saw the actual prevalence data—namely that caste makes up a relatively small share of reported discrimination compared to skin color, country of origin, or religion? Good policy depends on understanding both scale and context.
Ultimately, I’m not questioning whether to address discrimination; I’m asking how best to address it. That “how” has always been the crux of this debate. Without these follow-up questions, we’re left with headlines but little guidance. We need more precise, better-constructed research to convert concern into actionable, fair, and effective solutions for the Indian American Community and the broader Hindu American Community.
Inspired by this post on Hindu American Foundation.
