From Kathmandu to California, South Asians are confronting caste
by Sakshi Agrawal
Apr 21, 2022
4 minutes
Prem Pariyar thought an overseas education would be a way out of the caste discrimination he faced in central Nepal. But he was mistaken.
Shortly after arriving in the United States, he accepted an invitation to have lunch at a friend’s place, someone he had known back home. When it was time for the meal to be served, Mr. Pariyar – who is Dalit, an oppressed caste historically considered impure or “untouchable” – was stopped by the host’s wife. “I was told not to approach the food because I would pollute it,” recalls Mr. Pariyar. “Caste discrimination does not require a visa. It travels everywhere.”
It’s a common story. Young people from lower castes go abroad to escape discrimination and seek
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