American Born Critically Conscious Desi (ABCD): An Educational Pilot Workshop on the Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Stereotypic Narratives of South Asian American Masculinity

According to the United States Census (Jones et al., 2021; U.S. Census Bureau, 2023), Asian Americans were one of the fastest growing racial minority groups in 2020. In 2021, over 4.8 million South Asian Americans resided in the U.S. making up approximately 20% of the Asian American population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). The scope of existing research about South Asian Americans mostly explores factors of acculturation and bicultural “Desi” identity (Patel, 2008; van der Werf et al., 2020) with minimal attention to gender concepts beyond gender role differences or gender-based violence (Inman et al., 2014; Kumar & Nevid, 2010; Population Council, 2006; Tummala-Narra et al., 2017). More specifically, there is a lack of research and clinical guidance about working with masculine South Asian Americans. “American Born Critically Conscious Desi (ABCD): An Educational Pilot Workshop on the Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Stereotypic Narratives of South Asian American Masculinity” is a contribution to practice aimed towards bridging the gap between the current literature relating to South Asian American masculinity and the lack of existing clinical knowledge and information available for psychology practitioners working with this group. The objectives of this workshop include providing clinical guidance for working with South Asian American masculinity and teaching therapists a process of empathically analyzing systems of power that contribute to marginalization of racialized gendered individuals. Through analysis of historical context and language, participants deconstructed common stereotypic narratives detailed in three vignette cases before reconstructing attributes of masculinity within a positive psychology positive masculinity (PPPM) framework (Kiselica et al., 2016). Evaluative feedback from participants reflected a desire to use critical analysis as a tool to challenge systems of power and empower marginalized clients. The clinical utility of critical analysis and positive restructuring skills may be one of the first of its kind in its application for South Asian American populations. Further, it provides practitioners with terminology, language, and skills to reframe and empower clients’ experiences within systems of power.