In what could be a watershed moment in the caste equity movement, a state Senate bill aims to clarify discrimination laws to explicitly protect caste. The California State Capitol in Sacramento.

California's legislation targets the caste system in South Asian immigrant communities by adding caste to the list of categories protected under the state's anti-discrimination laws.

The Indian government officially abolished the caste system in 1950. But discrimination persists across South Asia against Dalits, a group of people from historically oppressed caste communities.

Debate over the caste system's hierarchy is contentious in India and abroad, with the issue intertwined with religion. Some people say discrimination is now rare. Indian government policies ...