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• The caste system is a framework of social classification and stratification based on endogamy, occupation, economic status, and ethnicity.

• Fast Facts

  1. The word "caste" is derived from the Portuguese "casta"
  2. The caste system in India was strengthened and solidified by British colonial rule
  3. Modern caste systems exist in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, Yemen and Africa, among other places
  4. Historical caste systems are associated with colonial Latin America, the United States and much of Europe

• Backstory

  Though it is most commonly associated with Hinduism and India, social stratification systems based on caste are, or have been, present in many countries of the world, on all continents. The term comes from early, 16th Century, Portuguese explorations of India. Though notions of caste certainly existed in India in some form, it is now widely believed that the system observed by these explorers was more a reflection of their own misunderstandings and prejudices than it was a strict social reality. Still, caste systems continue to function in many places in the world today. It is estimated that 250 million people worldwide experience discrimination based on caste.

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