Degree Date

2026

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Social Work and Social Research

Abstract

The South Asian American community is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States (Budiman & Ruiz, 2021). While research has explored various aspects of the South Asian American diaspora, limited research has focused on the caste system in the diaspora. This study examined caste on a macro level in American policy making. Using a qualitative case study design, it explored how the policy making process of California Senate Bill 403, a bill intended to prohibit caste discrimination, impacted structural stigma on caste and demonstrated interest convergence between caste supremacy and white supremacy in the United States. Findings suggest that structural stigma can be enacted via the policy making process and that factors outside of the policy making process affect policy outcomes. While this study focused on caste, findings and implications of this study can be relevant for other marginalized groups. Theoretical contributions include conceptualization of structural stigma and an applied use case of the concept of interest convergence. Practical implications for social workers engaged in policy practice include assessing the appropriateness of policy advocacy, facilitation of client-led advocacy, engaging with unintended effects of policy advocacy, and knowledge of and counteracting of power dynamics that affect policy outcomes.

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