Validating Subaltern Innovation: A Multi-Case Study of Nepali Diaspora-Led 501(C)(3) Nonprofits in Civic Engagement

• In Event: Open Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 19: Nonprofits and Civil Society

Abstract

Traditional theories of immigrant civic engagement, based on assimilation and social capital, fail to explain how marginalized diasporas build civic power. Operating with minimal resources yet facing systemic exclusion, these groups develop potent, culturally grounded innovations. This multi-case study of five Nepali diaspora nonprofits identifies a process of subaltern innovation: the generation of effective civic models from conditions of constraint. We theorize three core strategies: (1) cultural scaffolding, using traditions as trusted platforms for civic learning; (2) cryptic capital conversion, transforming stigmatized marginalization into political leverage; and (3) transpositional praxis, adapting democratic tactics from the homeland. These strategies are enabled by dynamic insider/outsider positioning and amplified by digital diasporic media. The findings reveal a critical tension between volunteer-based cultural preservation and professionalized advocacy models. Ultimately, this research challenges dominant paradigms, arguing that the most inclusive democratic tools are often designed by those excluded from traditional power structures. The future of civic resilience in diverse democracies may depend less on teaching immigrants established norms and more on learning from their innovative praxis.

Author

• Kalyani Rai, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee