1: An introduction
"Caste doesn't just impact the caste-oppressed, caste impacts all of us," says host Thenmozhi Soundararajan in the opening episode of ‘Caste in the USA’, a podcast which brings to light experiences of caste discrimination in the USA. This episode reiterates why the need of the hour is to increase conversation around the topic of caste in the diaspora, which is otherwise considered taboo or brushed aside as a conversation which will shame Indian culture in front of non-Indians. Laying out a structure for this podcast series, Thenmozhi explains that in the episodes to come, she will engage in conversations that explain how dominant caste networks in the USA work to keep caste alive. Sharing her experience from having steered a caste survey which brought forth the extent of caste discrimination prevalent among south asian communities, Thenmozhi also shares the hope that these conversations will eventually help those in the audience self examine how caste impacts one's own psyche everyday.