Desi (or Deshi; pronounced /ˈd̪e:si/ or /ˈd̪e:ʃi/, Hindi: देशी, Urdu: دیسی), literally means "local, regional" or "indigenous", as opposed to videshi विदेशी, وِدسی meaning "foreign". Although the term is most often used when referring to Indians or things Indian, it may be used to refer to people or things of South Asian origin. If used in the more general sense, it can include:
- The term Desi can include someone originating from India, Pakistan , Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
- British Asians
- South Asian Americans
- Indo-Canadians
- Fijian Indians
- South Asians in Philippines
- Indo Kiwi New Zealand
- Indo-Mauritian Mauritius
- South Asians living in Australia
- Indian South Africans
- South Asians living in Zimbabwe
- In India, Pakistan & Bangladesh, the term, used as an adjective, with respect to its own country, can also refer to things originating from the countryside, or indigenously manufactured goods as opposed to foreign or imported goods.
- Sometimes, people of Indian origin only
The term could also be used to refer to the diasporic subculture of overseas South Asians, usually those resident in English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia, or former British colonies such as South Africa, Kenya, Trinidad or Guyana.
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History
The term comes from Sanskrit देश deśa- ("region, province, country"). The word for country is "Des" or "Desh" in many languages in the Indian sub-continent. Desi thus means "of the homeland" in Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Rajasthani, Tamil and several other South Asian langages. For example, the country Bangladesh means "Bengali homeland". During the heyday of the British Raj/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. Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora. Some second or third generation immigrants, but not all, 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.[1]
ABCD's and Derogatory Terminology
The term acronym "ABCD" stands for "American Born Confused Desi". Among American born desi's this term is considered rude, and in response Indians who have arrived recently in North America from India are often referred to as FOB's (FOB = "Fresh Off the Boat"). This is a sensitive topic among people of Indian descent and people who were born in India. Since culture, values, customs, traditions, clothing, and general behavior vary by country, region and even cities through out the world, it is not surprising that there are differences between Indians who left India recently, Indians who have been living outside of India for several years, and people of Indian descent who have never lived in India. Terms such as FOB and ABCD are considered derogatory and offensive, and their use emphasizes differences in cultures, resulting in environments where the Indians who recently arrived from India are isolated from the community surrounding them, and are separated from others of Indian descent.
"Desi" in the food context
In the food domain, "desi" as an adjective or qualifier may mean native or traditional. Common examples are "desi ghee", which is the traditional clarified butter of the Indian subcontinent, as opposed to more processed fats such as vegetable oils. "Desi chicken" may mean a native breed of chicken, which is not a broiler chicken. Non-hybrid varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi".
Writers
The diasporic Desi community are prolific in English. Some writers of note (alphabetical by last name):
- Monica Ali
- Anita Desai
- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Mohsin Hamid
- Jhumpa Lahiri
- Gautam Malkani
- Gita Mehta
- Suketu Mehta
- Pankaj Mishra
- Rohinton Mistry
- Raman Mundair
- Vikram Seth
- Bapsi Sidhwa
- Abraham Verghese
- Michael Ondaatje
- V. S. Naipaul
- Arundhati Roy
- Salman Rushdie
See also
- Indian American
- Bangladeshi American
- British Asian
- Indo-Canadian
- Indo-Caribbean
- Asians in South Africa
- Overseas Pakistani
- South Asians in Hong Kong
- Indian Malaysian
- Indian Singaporean
- Indo-Mauritian
- Indo Kiwi
- Fiji Indian
- Indian-Germans
- Non-Resident Indian (NRI)
- United States foreign born per capita income
- MTV Desi
External links
- The Desi Diaspora, essay by Vijay Prashad at AskAsia.org
References
- ^ Kvetko, Peter. When the East is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth. September 4, 2006.
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| Africa | Botswana · Mauritius · Réunion · South Africa · Seychelles |
| Asia | Burma (Myanmar Indian Muslims) · Philippines · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Malaysia (Chitty) · Singapore |
| Americas | Canada (Tamil Canadians) · Guyana · Jamaica · Mexico · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago · United States |
| Europe | Germany · Netherlands · United Kingdom· France |
| Oceania | Australia · New Zealand · Fiji |
| See also | Anglo-Indian · Desi · Non-Resident Indian Award · Non-Resident Indian Day · Tamil diaspora |
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| Americas | Canada · United States |
| Europe | Norway · United Kingdom |
| Oceania | Australia |
