5 ms·

Anyone that really thinks the USA has no caste is in an upper level caste. It's less formalized here than in other countries, but it absolutely exists.

pydry 4y ago
American caste is just money though.
- cuteboy19 4y ago
  That's not what caste is. Caste is a value assigned to you at birth that you cannot change no matter what you do. It's similar to race but stupider
  - qorrect 4y ago
    People are having a really hard time grasping this and Im not sure why.
  - justinclift 4y ago
    Kind of sounds like "from old money" vs "not from old money" in the UK/US/etc?
  - pydry 4y ago
    This sounds an awful lot like what money in America has become. An american rags to riches mythos and a small and decreasing class mobility asymptotically trending to zero looks more like caste than not.
- Johnny555 4y ago
  It's money and everything that comes along with it - social status, health (both because of access to healthcare, but being able to afford a healthy lifestyle), education, safer interactions with law enforcement, job prospects and advancement, etc. If you're born poor, it's very hard to break out of that. It's not literally impossible like changing caste is, but it's very difficult.
  - pydry 4y ago
    Moving abroad and changing your name may even be a little easier than breaking out of American capital chains. Youll still be dalit but it doesnt have to define you. India also has a dalit president. America hasnt had a president of modest income since Truman.
- AnimalMuppet 4y ago
  Money and education.
- zeusk 4y ago
  and skin color, gender, race or sexuality based on the local politics/religion.
- wumpus 4y ago
  Money, education, Mayflower ancestor, eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, distant relative of some famous or wealthy family, member of some social clubs (even inexpensive ones), and so on. Edit: but as many other folks are mentioning, this is class and not caste. You'll notice that around half of the things I've mentioned are something you're born with.
  - kasey_junk 4y ago
    Honest question, in what situations have you been in where you were aware that someone had a Mayflower ancestor or was eligible for the Daughters of the Revolution? That has literally never happened to me.
    - wumpus 4y ago
      I don't give a crap about class, so I'm probably not the person to ask. I do have family members who care about it.
beebmam 4y ago
I'm not Indian, I don't think there's a caste system for me. If people discriminate against me for not being Indian and thereby not having a caste, then I hope they get brutally fired and ridiculed, and their wealth is dispossessed. We should be treating people as individuals, not collectives. Anything less is profoundly immoral.
s1artibartfast 4y ago
Anyone who thinks the USA has a caste system doesn't understand what a caste system is. People are not defined or restricted based on the occupations of their parents. Class mobility is celebrated, so much so that the successful often play-up any humble origins in their families.
- SamoyedFurFluff 4y ago
  The US caste system absolutely exists; it’s called old money. And old money communities absolutely limit occupations and opportunities based on this.
  - beebmam 4y ago
    That's not a caste system. Please read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste
    - dsr_ 4y ago
      It's a class system, but nearly all Americans insist that they are middle-class: upper middle class, lower middle class, but definitely middle-class. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/middle-class.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/middle-class.asp
  - s1artibartfast 4y ago
    I have never been asked to put my parents occupations or net worth on a resume, or been asked it in an interview.
    - killerdhmo 4y ago
      You don't have to. It comes up with your universities, your hobbies, your zip code, even your name. That leads into what jobs you get, how much money you earn, and now what position your kids are in.
- josephg 4y ago
JasserInicide 4y ago
The USA doesn't have a widespread problem of discriminating people based on their last names.

pydry 4y ago

American caste is just money though.

cuteboy19 4y ago
That's not what caste is. Caste is a value assigned to you at birth that you cannot change no matter what you do. It's similar to race but stupider
- qorrect 4y ago
  People are having a really hard time grasping this and Im not sure why.
- justinclift 4y ago
  Kind of sounds like "from old money" vs "not from old money" in the UK/US/etc?
- pydry 4y ago
  This sounds an awful lot like what money in America has become. An american rags to riches mythos and a small and decreasing class mobility asymptotically trending to zero looks more like caste than not.
Johnny555 4y ago
It's money and everything that comes along with it - social status, health (both because of access to healthcare, but being able to afford a healthy lifestyle), education, safer interactions with law enforcement, job prospects and advancement, etc. If you're born poor, it's very hard to break out of that. It's not literally impossible like changing caste is, but it's very difficult.
- pydry 4y ago
  Moving abroad and changing your name may even be a little easier than breaking out of American capital chains. Youll still be dalit but it doesnt have to define you. India also has a dalit president. America hasnt had a president of modest income since Truman.
AnimalMuppet 4y ago
Money and education.
zeusk 4y ago
and skin color, gender, race or sexuality based on the local politics/religion.
wumpus 4y ago
Money, education, Mayflower ancestor, eligible to join the Daughters of the American Revolution, distant relative of some famous or wealthy family, member of some social clubs (even inexpensive ones), and so on. Edit: but as many other folks are mentioning, this is class and not caste. You'll notice that around half of the things I've mentioned are something you're born with.
- kasey_junk 4y ago
  Honest question, in what situations have you been in where you were aware that someone had a Mayflower ancestor or was eligible for the Daughters of the Revolution? That has literally never happened to me.
  - wumpus 4y ago
    I don't give a crap about class, so I'm probably not the person to ask. I do have family members who care about it.

beebmam 4y ago

I'm not Indian, I don't think there's a caste system for me. If people discriminate against me for not being Indian and thereby not having a caste, then I hope they get brutally fired and ridiculed, and their wealth is dispossessed. We should be treating people as individuals, not collectives. Anything less is profoundly immoral.

s1artibartfast 4y ago

Anyone who thinks the USA has a caste system doesn't understand what a caste system is. People are not defined or restricted based on the occupations of their parents. Class mobility is celebrated, so much so that the successful often play-up any humble origins in their families.

SamoyedFurFluff 4y ago
The US caste system absolutely exists; it’s called old money. And old money communities absolutely limit occupations and opportunities based on this.
- beebmam 4y ago
  That's not a caste system. Please read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste
  - dsr_ 4y ago
    It's a class system, but nearly all Americans insist that they are middle-class: upper middle class, lower middle class, but definitely middle-class. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/middle-class.asp https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/middle-class.asp
- s1artibartfast 4y ago
  I have never been asked to put my parents occupations or net worth on a resume, or been asked it in an interview.
  - killerdhmo 4y ago
    You don't have to. It comes up with your universities, your hobbies, your zip code, even your name. That leads into what jobs you get, how much money you earn, and now what position your kids are in.
josephg 4y ago

JasserInicide 4y ago

The USA doesn't have a widespread problem of discriminating people based on their last names.