Caste discrimination is a form of discrimination based on the caste system, which is a system of power and privilege based on hierarchy that is often associated with India and other South Asian cultures. In California, caste discrimination has been a topic of debate, and a bill has been passed to ban it. If signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the bill would include caste as a category protected by the California Education Code, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and the Unruh Civil Rights Act. The bill defines caste as “an individual’s perceived position in a system of social stratification on the basis of inherited status” . The legislation has revealed deep divisions in the South Asian community, with some arguing that the legislation will associate Indian Americans with the caste system even though a large proportion do not believe in or relate to the institution. However, anti-caste discrimination activists say the law in California would empower caste-oppressed people while educating both South Asians and non-South Asians on an issue they say remains prevalent on the Asian continent and in the diaspora abroad.