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REUTERS/Carlos Barriaof Acquire Licensing RightsOct 7 (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday vetoed a bill passed recently by the state legislature to explicitly ban caste discrimination, citing exiting laws that already prohibit ancestry discrimination, which made the bill "unnecessary." Had Newsom signed the bill, officially called Senate Bill 403 or SB 403, California would have become the first ever U.S. state to explicitly ban caste discrimination. U.S. discrimination laws ban ancestry discrimination though they do not explicitly mention a prohibition on casteism. Activists opposing caste discrimination said it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed. In California itself, last month, Fresno became only the second U.S. city to ban caste discrimination after a unanimous city council vote.

Persons: Carlos Barriaof, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Aisha Wahab, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Arvind Krishna, Kanishka Singh, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, Seattle, U.S, Microsoft, IBM, Thomson Locations: Francisco's, San Francisco , California, U.S, California, South, Afghan American, North America, Canada, Fresno, Silicon Valley, India, Washington

Newsom's veto marked a rare but consequential setback in the movement against caste discrimination that had picked up momentum this year in North America. Had the bill been signed into law, California would have become the first U.S. state to explicitly ban caste discrimination. Here are some examples of recent policy steps across North America to fight caste discrimination:SEATTLEIn February, Seattle became the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination after its local council voted to add caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws. FRESNOIn September, Fresno, California, became only the second U.S. city to ban caste discrimination after a unanimous city council vote. CALIFORNIAA bill to ban caste discrimination in California was introduced and authored by Democratic state Senator Aisha Wahab, an Afghan American, in March.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Aisha Wahab, Newsom, Kanishka Singh, Jamie Freed Organizations: California State University, Brown University, Ivy League, Harvard University, Democratic, Thomson Locations: California, North America, U.S, SEATTLE, Seattle, TORONTO, Canada, FRESNO, Fresno , California, CALIFORNIA, Afghan American, Washington

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - California moved closer to becoming the first U.S. state to ban caste discrimination after a bill to outlaw the practise passed the California Assembly late on Monday. 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. Activists opposing caste discrimination say it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed. Earlier this year, Seattle became the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination after a city council vote and Toronto's school board became the first in Canada to recognize that caste discrimination existed in the city's schools. The Dalit community is on the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system; members have been treated as "untouchables."

Persons: Aisha Wahab, Gavin Newsom, Kanishka Singh, Marguerita Choy Organizations: California Assembly, Afghan, Afghan American Democrat, Seattle, Thomson Locations: California, U.S, ., South, Afghan American, North America, Canada, India, Washington

☆ California lawmaker introduces bill to ban caste discrimination in state
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - A bill to ban caste discrimination was introduced in the California Senate on Wednesday by a Democratic lawmaker, which, if passed, could make California the first U.S. state to outlaw the practice, a problem for the state's substantial South Asian diaspora. The Dalit community is on the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system; members have been treated as "untouchables." India outlawed caste discrimination over 70 years ago, yet several studies in recent years show that bias persists. Activists opposing caste discrimination say it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed. U.S. discrimination laws ban ancestry discrimination but do not explicitly ban casteism.

☆ Advocates Urge Congress to Pass Permanent Residency Status for Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesConvincing Republican senatorsThe House version of the Afghan Adjustment Act has 143 co-sponsors, including 10 Republicans. Demonstrators gather to support Afghan evacuees outside the Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022. At the moment, one prospect to advance the Afghan Adjustment Act is by attaching it to that larger spending bill, advocates say. But negotiations on the omnibus are ongoing, and whether the Afghan Adjustment Act will be included is up in the air. Yet without a deal by then, passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act appears doomed, advocates say, keeping Afghan evacuees in perpetual legal limbo.

☆ How small-town Maine embraced a family that fled the Taliban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Elyse Lightman Samuels | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — Last November, at about midnight, Omid was lying in bed in his new home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine — exhausted, but unable to sleep. On this night, and on many nights during Omid's first few months in Maine, Nasir was soon at his door. Omid's family arrived in Maine just before Halloween in 2021 and recently celebrated one year in Maine. Catholic Charities, the local refugee-resettlement organization in Maine, was working with Omid's family to help them resettle. After Omid's family escaped Kabul, members of his extended family came by to collect some of their more precious items, and gave other things away.

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