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US Caste Laws Risk Colonial Repeat and Bias—Protecting Dharmic Unity Now
US efforts to legislate caste as a protected category aim to curb discrimination but risk reviving colonial-era methods of identity control. Historical lessons from British rule and postcolonial India show how enumeration hardens fluid identities and creates verification problems, particularly in diaspora contexts. Early institutional responses, such as caste-focused DEI trainings, may inadvertently heighten bias…
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Inside the Carnegie Indian American Survey: What the Data Misses on Dharmic Lives
The Carnegie Endowment’s 2024 Indian American Attitudes Survey offers a useful snapshot of the diaspora, but several findings require careful interpretation. Treating “Indian American” as synonymous with “Hindu American” can obscure the distinct experiences of dharmic communities, including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. Reported caste discrimination (7%) is lower than discrimination based on skin color,…
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Multiculturalism as misdirection
Peter Thiel’s article titled “The Diversity Myth,” featured in this month’s The New Criterion, addresses several key points about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and their impact on various aspects of society. Thiel argues that DEI is not a genuine pursuit of diversity but rather a distraction from deeper issues. These deeper issues include challenges…