Caste bias in tech – Recording

Many people lump Indian tech workers into the “model minority”, a racist stereotype that creates a pecking order with Asian people on top. What many people (and many companies) don’t understand is that India’s caste system, a socioeconomic hierarchy that divides Hindus into four main categories (and excludes Dalits outside of the hierarchy), bars many South Asians from succeeding in the tech industry. Caste bias and oppression can deny Dalit workers promotions, jobs, and access to tech’s prosperity, in India, in the United States, and worldwide.

While tech has made many promises to address racial inequities across the industry, caste discrimination goes largely ignored. You may have heard that Google canceled an event with Thenmozhi Soundararajan about this very topic. We think this important equity issue has gone overlooked for too long in tech and beyond.

On Thursday, July 21st, 12-1 pm PT we hosted an illuminating discussion on caste discrimination in tech, how the caste system intersects with racism, sexism, and classism in the U.S., and how existing hierarchies in tech reinforce these caste dynamics. We heard from Dalit rights activist and executive director of Equality Labs, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, and Nitasha Tiku, tech culture reporter for the Washington Post.

The webinar was moderated by Catherine Bracy, CEO and Co-Founder of TechEquity and hosted on Zoom.