News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system. Parent comment

Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by russelldjimmy on Tuesday March 01, 2022 @11:05PM (#30523536)
Perhaps if something doesn’t make sense, ask for clarity instead of asserting that changing one’s surname makes zero difference.

I am also familiar with many upper-caste people who have changed their surname to something generic (like Kumar) to avoid revealing their caste. This doesn’t just apply to job seeking in private enterprises. They do this to avoid any kind of attention drawn to their surname, and hence caste. This attention can then play out differently in different scenarios.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by unmole on Tuesday March 01, 2022 @11:09PM (#30523576)
I called the stated reason i.e. fearing losing out on jobs and promotions nonsensical.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by zxienin on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @07:30AM (#30526602)
yes.

Surname change was to avoid revealing caste. No appropriation of "lower caste" to get favorable quota.

I have no evidentiary way to conclude if change ended up helping me or not. I just never had to face caste based discrimination.

I shared the experience, so folks on this forums come out knowing more than what is typically seen in media.

No rhetoric. There is no denying, that problem is real.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by unmole on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @10:16AM (#30528270)
> There is no denying, that problem is real.

The problem of people from dominant castes facing discrimination on the basis of their surnames is wholly imaginary.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by programmer_dude on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @04:59AM (#30525639)
They change their surname so that they can weasle into quotas reserved for the repressed class. You are not fooling anybody Mr. Kumar.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by frontman1988 on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @08:04AM (#30526866)
Changing surname doesn't change caste certificate. Otherwise millions of people would be turning into lower castes
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by programmer_dude on Wednesday March 02, 2022 @08:08AM (#30526897)
> Changing surname

Is just the first step. Bribing the right authorities is next.

> Otherwise millions of people would be turning into lower castes

How do you know they aren't already?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Trapped in Silicon Valley’s hidden caste system by frontman1988 on Thursday March 03, 2022 @05:11AM (#30539204)
I have a kumar surname. Can you get me a Scheduled Caste/Tribe certificate? I am ready to pay a million rupees if you get it done.
[ Parent | on HN ]