ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the ways in which casteism, colonization, and colorism can impact the mental health experiences of South Asian Americans (SAA). Using a case study, it discusses how these systems can impact a client's experience, clinical distress, stressors, resilience, treatment, and goals. The chapter introduces Rupali and later return to her case to demonstrate how these systems can impact a client's distress and needs from therapy. It then offers a sociohistorical framework that takes into consideration the impact of hierarchical and oppressive systems. This framework is essential in understanding the experiences of SAA. The caste system is one of the longest systems of oppression in the world. Casteism is the discrimination based on one's caste identity where caste-marginalized groups are considered as inferior, unclean, and immoral. Colonization is a complex, systemic form of oppression that has a long historical legacy of denigration and subjugation of people in the South Asian subcontinent.
