South Asian migrants face caste discrimination even in Australia, US, UK, New Zealand

Eight years ago, when businessman BK heard a couple at a shop in Adelaide speaking his native Indian language, he enthusiastically introduced himself to them.

But the other man’s smile vanished after BK gave his surname, which signified he belonged to one of the lowest groups in India’s strict social hierarchy.

“I was shocked to see that Indians [overseas] still feel embarrassed when they meet people belonging to lower castes,” said the 39-year-old, who wished to be known by his initials.

In South Asia, a person’s social status is determined at birth due to a centuries-old socio-religious structure. Hindus from the Brahmin and Kshatriya communities occupy the highest castes, while Vaishyas, Shudras and Dalits are considered the lowest strata of society. Caste hierarchies are also prevalent among the Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian communities in the region.

It is frowned upon for those from different castes to socialise or intermarry, and people from lower castes face widespread discrimination and socio-economic oppression. So entrenched is this social system that people who move overseas continue to face prejudice from fellow migrants from the Indian subcontinent.

“Wherever a South Asian travels, his caste travels with him,” said C Lakshmanan, associate professor at Chennai’s Madras Institute of Development Studies. “Caste is ingrained, embedded and practised in daily life.”

Over the past decades, many highly-educated privileged South Asians from upper castes began moving to take up jobs or start businesses in countries like Britain, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. People from marginalised communities too landed in the same places, but to do blue-collar work, Lakshmanan said.