On March 21, Claremont McKenna College’s (CMC) Civility, Access, Resources, and Expression (CARE) Center held an event centered around the Netflix Original reality TV show, “Indian Matchmaking.” Hosted by CARE Fellow Pranav Patel CM ’26, the event analyzed different scenes from the show and sparked a discussion on casteism and discrimination in both India and the United States.
“Indian Matchmaking,” which was initially released in 2020, follows Sima Taparia, a professional matchmaker who helps Indian singles find suitable partners for marriage. The series is based on traditional matchmaking practices in Indian culture, exploring how cultural and gender norms can influence arranged marriages.
As a CARE Fellow, Patel’s role involves holding events to educate 5C community members about important social issues in order to open dialogue. Patel said he chose this topic so that people could understand how casteism can impact people’s lives.
“I hope people understand that caste is something that has shaped not only South Asian history, but also our history as products of the South Asian diaspora,” Patel said. “A part of the reason I’m in this country has to do with the caste system.”
At the event, Patel began by explaining that arranged marriages are common among families practicing Hinduism. He said it involves setting up couples based on their background and compatibility, along with other factors, and said that if all goes well, it ends in a wedding. But, he explained, this process carries a stigma.
“A lot of the times, we equate arranged marriage to forced marriage, [because] people think that it isn’t consensual,” Patel said. “But it isn’t that. Two people can consensually enter an arranged marriage, you do get the chance to say no, and people need to realize that.”
Throughout the talk, Patel intertwined explanations with scenes from the show, citing examples of how this modern matchmaking process and its issues are reflected in it.
He then delved into explaining the caste system in India, demonstrating how it can influence marriage. The Indian caste system is a social hierarchy dividing people into ranked groups — Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and Dalits — with prescribed roles and privileges. This system essentially determines one’s occupation, social status and interactions with society.
“It’s a hereditary social hierarchy, as you can get it from your parents, but if you’re a woman, you can get it from your marriage,” Patel said. “Especially for women, it determines who you can marry and the jobs you can do and your caste essentially becomes your occupation.”
Patel then went on to further explain how the lower castes, specifically Dalits, face unique issues and are often oppressed in Indian society, subject to violence and discrimination.
“The higher up you are in this caste hierarchy, especially if you’re a Brahmin or a Kshatriya, then you tend to be more ‘pure’ and you are given access to the best resources,” Patel said. “But Dalits are termed ‘Untouchable’ in India, they tend to be relegated to degrading work and are even denied access to basic resources like water.”
Furthermore, Patel explained that, after the passing of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act in the United States, many Indians immigrated there for better employment. However, this option was only available to upper-caste members, increasing caste-based discrimination in India and the United States.
“Statistically, 87 percent of Indians in the United States are upper-caste, with only one out of 100 immigrants being Dalits,” Patel said. “This leads to homophily in caste, as people will tend to only associate with others from the same caste, as their parents only associate with people from the same caste.”
Patel then cited examples of how people are fighting against caste discrimination, with lawsuits filed against Cisco and Google in 2020 by Dalit engineers who alleged that they faced caste-bias and harassment in the workplace.
Patel also noted that, in 2022, Scripps College added caste as a protected category of its discrimination and harassment policies. The initiative was due to the advocacy of the 5C South Asian Mentorship Program.
Patel ended the talk by explaining why it is important to understand cultural practices and to challenge instances of discrimination.
“Marriage is ultimately just a reflection of our culture,” Patel said. “Casteism and colourism are still important issues not only here, but in India as well. It’s our responsibility to engage with our background, be critical of our traditions and break generational patterns when we can.”
Audience member Anusha Kabra CM ’27 said the event was interesting and praised the diversity of the topic and opinions presented.
“I liked how there was a lot of usage of instances from the show where we picked up on specific dialogues and lines which created interesting discussions,” Kabra said. “It was nice to hear everyone else’s opinions, there was a lot of diversity there and it was a good experience.”
Ragini Mohan CM ’27, another audience member, echoed similar sentiments but added that she wished that there was more discussion around arranged marriage.
“The talk focused more on casteism and discrimination, but I think the primary focus of the show is still arranged marriage,” Mohan said. “It would have been helpful if [Patel] spoke about how arranged marriage isn’t bad, the good that’s come out of it and the way that it’s evolved.”
Patel also added how students can play a role in fighting against casteism.
“The best thing to do is educate yourself on caste,” he said. “I didn’t even know what caste was until I took a class at CMC on caste, race and equality by Professor Panda, but it is something that we need to be actively aware of and [we need to be] critical of the structures that perpetuate it.”
Facebook Comments