CASTE: The Origins of Our Discontents 

               Before reading this book, I had never considered caste to be a mechanism that affected the US. When the book first compared the US to India, it was difficult for me to make the connection. It was easier for me to recognize Nazi Germany as a caste system because the language we use surrounding the Holocaust is specific; terms such as “inferior,” “superior,” “genocide,” and “eugenics” are widely recognized in the context of the Holocaust. The reason why recognizing the US as a caste system was so difficult for myself and others was because it is the unspoken oath ingrained in America’s subjects since birth. There is no societal recognition of the caste system plaguing our country and killing its citizens. Caste sustains itself by remaining invisible; Americans have a choice between remaining complicit and educating themselves. Understanding the pillars of caste was incredibly helpful in recognizing the role of the caste system in the US and worldwide.

               Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it took a while for me to fully comprehend what I was reading and make connections between the book and other things I’ve read and done. One of the points that I found most interesting was how caste is so dependable that any minor disruption will make the dominant caste feel like their entire world is crumbling around them. Wilkerson mentions the fact that suicide rates among white men are growing, specifically in communities where the demographics are rapidly shifting toward a white minority. As a person who likes to have data when claims are made, the book occasionally felt like Wilkerson was just grasping at straws until one point stuck. In some chapters, claims were made back-to-back, and I like a little more elaboration and detail. However, I think that part of that strategy was effective, as it caused me to dig deeper and research the points that didn’t initially make sense to me. The follow-up readings we did in Global Studies were also incredibly helpful in solidifying my understanding of the points Wilkerson made.

               The movie put real-world examples behind some of the concepts. It was more digestible than the book—~2 hours vs. ~500 pages—but much more emotionally impactful. It gives insight into Wilkerson’s process as she wrote the book and the personal struggles that pushed her to continue. There was a good balance between flashbacks and current-day events, making it feel much less like a documentary and more like a narrative; her storytelling was very effective. It showed who caste affects in the end, which helped me understand the book better and will help others understand the role of caste in our society; it’s near impossible not to feel bad for the crying little boy sitting out of his baseball team’s pool party because he is viewed as “contaminated.”