Desi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Desi
Image:Vinod Khosla, Web 2.0 Conference.jpg Image:Raghuram Rajan.jpg Image:RajReddy CMU.gif

Total population
Regions with significant populations	Britain 2,331,423 (4%), USA 2,195,569, Canada 917,075 (3.1%), South Africa 2.5%, Australia , New Zealand 1.7%
Language	English and Indian languages
Religion	Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism <tr> <th style="background-color:#fee8ab;">Related ethnic groups</th> <td style="background-color:#fff6d9;">British Asian, Asian South African and South Asian American</td> </tr>

This article is about the South Asian people. For other uses, see Desi (disambiguation).

Desi (pronounced /ˈd̪e:si/ or /ˈd̪e:ʃi/, Devanagari: देसी, Nastaliq: دیسی and alternatively spelled Deshi), is a term that can refer to people or things of South Asian origin.

If used in this sense, it can include:

People of South Asian origins (from one of the seven South Asian countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives)
British Asians
South Asian Americans
South Asians living in Canada
South Asians living in Australia
Asian South Africans
Sometimes, people of Indian orgin only
In India, the term, used as an adjective, can also refer to things orginating from the countryside, or Indian-made goods as opposed to foreign or imported goods.

The term can also be used to refer to the diasporic subculture of overseas South Asians, usually those resident in English-speaking countries such as the UK, Canada, the US, and Australia, or former British colonies such as South Africa, Kenya or Guyana.

Some South Asians feel that Desi is a derogatory term; others embrace it.

1 History
2 Controversy
3 Fusion culture
- 3.1 Writers
4 See also
5 External links
- 5.1 Desi group blogs
6 References

[edit] History

The term comes from the Sanskrit ( देशः ) "Deśah" ("nation" or "the motherland"). The word for country is "Des" or "Desh" in many South Asian languages. Desi would thus mean "person from my homeland".

During the heyday of the British Raj and the British Empire, many people from the then undivided Indian sub-continent emigrated to the UK or to other British colonies, in search of education and opportunity. The diaspora from what is now called "South Asia" increased dramatically following the riots and massacres of the Partition of India. Families from the affected areas sought safety in various Commonwealth countries.

Many South Asians living in diaspora are now second or even third-generation immigrants. Many of them have done extremely well, professionally and financially.

Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora. Some second or third generation immigrants do not think of themselves as belonging to a particular nation, sub-culture, or caste, but as just plain South Asians or Desis. Some Desis are creating what can be called a "fusion" culture, in which foods, fashions, music, and the like from many areas of South Asia are "fused" with elements from Western culture.<ref>Kvetko, Peter. When the East is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth. September 4, 2006. <http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~dkapchan/home/folkloreweb/interactive/indianfilm/indianclub.html>.</ref> Some of these fusion creations, such as bhangra (Punjabi music mixed with reggae and hip-hop) have become popular outside the Desi community.

[edit] Controversy

There is a great deal of disagreement as to who can be considered Desi. Some Desis take an inclusive attitude; anyone from South Asia is a fellow Desi. Often the term is restricted to those living outside South Asia, in diaspora.

Sandip Roy Chowdhury argues that Desi means a (South Asian) person coexisting with mainstream society. <ref>Chowdhury, Sandip Roy. From Paki to Desi. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.indiacurrents.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=4cd33b42b739a82a3ae63f5f720522d0>.</ref>

However, others argue that only people of Indian origin should be called Desis:

Jennifer Polan claims Desi means Indian from India. <ref>Polan, Jennifer. Is mine a case of reverse culture shock? 2003. September 4,2006. <http://members.tripod.com/~jennifer_polan/india/backtousa.html>.</ref>