​The British colonial regime, embodied through the East India Company, institutionalised and exacerbated these distinctions upon migration to the UK, these social structures were adopted and combined with pre-existing racial stereotypes and hierarchies. Consequently, this led to embedded post-colonial systems and stereotypes in sectors such as the workplace. The discrimination of someone due to their caste level is known as Casteism, which is prevalent in a variety of research specific to employment. Relation of Casteism to work It has been evidenced that lower caste individuals encounter significant barriers in employment and promotion. Research by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) found that individuals with South Asian names had to send nearly twice as many job applications as their white counterparts to receive callback.  This emphasises the colonial manipulation and importation of the system, as well as its remaining relevance in the 21st century despite being identified as discrimination centuries ago. Nevertheless, casteism also occurs from within the South Asian community in the UK, for example the case study of ‘X’, found that ‘X’ noted that perceived bullying from Sikh line managers who socialised with other Sikhs, was not confined to lower castes; instead, a Muslim friend of his was bullied by the shift managers, who made demands on him beyond his job.  Furthermore, ACDA found that exclusion from work social events and demeaning behaviour, such as ‘women of “upper castes” not accepting water from a tap where “lower caste” individuals drink’, were also common overt forms of casteism.   The various types of discrimination within the workforce by diverse perpetrators, reinforces the complexity of the caste system, but also the unfortunate long-term effects of it despite being an anachronistic concept.  Impacts of Casteism While Casteism leads to overt outcomes such as reduced career prospects, lower earnings and social isolation, its impact on mental health should also be acknowledged. Discrimination can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and much more. Therefore, because its presence is deemed to be less significant relative to its origins, this doesn’t lessen its impact or significance. Parallels and misconceptions All forms of discrimination have cyclical patterns yet were adapted to different cultures, periods and consequent prejudices. Casteism, alas, has a variety of similarities to racism. Racism involves the prejudicial treatment against individuals based on their race; casteism refers to the discrimination based on a caste which can include the dehumanisation of lower castes, known as Dalits. Although the definitions vary between the types of discrimination, South Asians are impacted by both; the outcomes may be similar and thus difficult to identify, however being aware of the differences and the existence of casteism can make a huge impact especially in the diverse nation we live in today. What can we do? On a large scale, introducing sessions at work where the caste system, and casteism, are discussed and precautions are taken to prevent discrimination can aid all victims, both those who are conscious of the discrimination and those who are less aware. Most importantly genuinely recognising ethnicities and their burden is key - that’s why your voice matters! By L.J.Mark