Caste and Misconceptions: The NCRI Report’s Alarming Findings on DEI
The NCRI report on caste reveals critical flaws in understanding and addressing caste dynamics in the U.S. Based on a study of 847 participants, most lacking lived or anecdotal experience with caste, the findings highlight how Equality Labs’ materials promote perceptions of bias and microaggressions. Instead of fostering unity and equality, these interventions create division and prejudice, particularly against perceived "upper caste" individuals. The report underscores the need for more objective, informed approaches to achieving genuine social harmony and inclusivity.
The NCRI report on caste is especially damning. The study recruited 847 participants for a national sample matched on U.S. demographics for greater representativeness. Since Hindus comprise just 1% of the US population, fewer than ten individuals could be expected to have any insight into caste as experienced in the present day in the US. In reality the actual number of such people is likely in the 7-8 range as US-born Hindu Americans are known to be either far less familiar or completely unfamiliar with the caste system.
Thus the study was largely based on the responses of about 840 (847-7) individuals who had zero prior knowledge of the caste system either through lived or anecdotal experience, reading, etc. For example, the caste-neutral last names did not have any caste associations. For all we know, the college administrator was Dalit and the applicant was Brahmin. However, the 840 individuals (and likely most of the Indian Americans as well) were led to see a caste dynamic at play even though none was shown in the case study.
Analysis showed that exposure to the Equality Labs intervention led to significantly higher perceptions of microaggressions, perceived harm, and assumptions of bias. This goes to show that Equality Labs' materials contribute to increased division, misunderstanding, and yes, prejudice against perceived (without any explicit knowledge) "upper caste" individuals. In other words, by their very framing/existence, Equality Labs' training materials create a hostile environment. In short, not only do not help/shed light, they actually set back the goal of equality, unity, and objectivity.
