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"Boston Brahmin" doesn't capture any of the subtleties of caste, nor is it long lasting. The salience of that group lasted at most two centuties, and most Ameri

"Boston Brahmin" doesn't capture any of the subtleties of caste, nor is it long lasting. The salience of that group lasted at most two centuties, and most Americans wouldn't immediately place someone named Ted Brinley in that group on hearing the name. Exogamy was rampant. The same things are not at all true of a Brahmin.

kevinventullo 3y ago
nor is it long lasting. Good point, there’s no such thing as old money, or legacy admissions, or even good old-fashioned racism in America. We left that in the 20th century!
- wwtrv 3y ago
  That's not a direct analogue to the Hindu caste system because at most generation or two were perfectly sufficient to transition to a higher level 'caste'.
- scarmig 3y ago
  Race as we know it is a modern invention, approximately four centuries old. It's a toddler compared to caste.