South Asian diaspora

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A map of South Asia.

The South Asian diaspora, also known as the Desi diaspora,[1] is the group of people whose ancestral origins lie in South Asia (the Indian subcontinent), but who live outside the region.[2] There are over 44 million people in this diaspora.[3]

Names

South Asians in the diaspora are often referred to as Desis, a term embraced by many South Asians, though controversial to some.[4][5][6]

History

See also:
History of emigration from India

Ancient era

See also: Kala pani (taboo) and Maritime Silk Road

Some South Asians lived in other parts of the world for trade purposes. During the Roman Empire, a few South Asians came to Europe.[7]

Medieval era

Romani people

This section is an excerpt from Romani people.[edit]

The

ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Romani originated in the Indian subcontinent, in particular the region of present-day Rajasthan. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is now believed by historians to have occurred around 1000 CE. Their original name is from the Sanskrit word and means a member of the Dom caste of travelling musicians and dancers. The Roma population moved west into the Ghaznavid Empire and later into the Byzantine Empire. The Roma are thought to have arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th century. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are located in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Spain, and Turkey
.

In the English language, Romani people have long been known by the
exonym Gypsies or Gipsies, which most Roma consider a racial slur. The attendees of the first World Romani Congress
in 1971 unanimously voted to reject the use of all exonyms for the Romani, including "Gypsy".

Colonial era

A statue commemorating Janey Tetary, an Indian indentured servant who died in an 1884 uprising in Suriname.[8]

During the colonial era, over 1 million South Asians were taken to other parts of the world as indentured servants.[9] South Asians also were brought to parts of Southeast Asia as part of the British Empire.[10]

Diaspora members played a significant role in opposing the British Raj as part of the Ghadar Movement.

Some South Asians, mainly from Punjab, migrated to the West Coast in the United States, and mixed with the local Mexican community.[11]

Post-colonial era

South Asians have emigrated in record numbers since the end of the colonial era in the middle of the 20th century. Many South Asians migrated to the United Kingdom and participated in its post-war economic recovery.[12][13] Some South Asians went to the Middle East for labour opportunities, though some were mistreated in a racist manner and exploited.[14][15] After the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that allowed nonwhite immigration was passed, Indian-Americans became the richest ethnic group in the United States, and comprise over 10% of the labour force in computing-related fields.[16]

Because South Asians had already dispersed across the world during the colonial era, a noted aspect of the diaspora is that some of its members' families transited through several countries over generations to reach a final destination (e.g. a person's ancestors may have come from India to Africa, and then a few generations later from Africa to New Zealand).[17]

Culture

Cinema

Some people in the diaspora watch

Bollywood), and some South Asian films feature diaspora characters. The Hindi-language Bollywood industry has played a significant role in uniting the diaspora around Hindi as a common language for exploring its South Asian heritage.[18] The diaspora's proficiency in English has also led to South Asian media catering to them using Hinglish, a hybrid of Hindi and English.[19]

Sport

America
.

South Asians introduced some of their

kho-kho, into countries like South Africa and Malaysia during the colonial era.[20][21][22] In post-colonial times, kabaddi and kho-kho have been brought by the diaspora to some of the Western countries,[23][24][25] with kabaddi used in some contexts to show masculinity in hostile environments.[26]

Cricket has been patronised by the diaspora in North America and the Middle East,[27] with the American Major League Cricket mainly targeting the diaspora audience.[28][29][30]

Music

See also: Asian Underground, Chutney parang, and Desi hip hop

Desi pubs

This section is an excerpt from Desi pub.[edit]
cultural integration
between Asian and British communities.

Community relations

Deepavali (Diwali) celebrated in Little India, Singapore
.

Within the diaspora

South Asian diasporas represent a wide variety of linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and religious groups from across the subcontinent.

Babri Masjid demolition and the 2014 election of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India.[34][35][36]

Discrimination based on the

Hindu diaspora; in America, a non-scientific survey showed 67% of lower-caste Dalits had experienced caste discrimination in the workplace,[37] and in California, there was heated debate within the diaspora as to whether to pass legislation explicitly banning caste discrimination.[38]

The diaspora and South Asia

Diaspora communities have been noted for providing crucial economic support and remittances to countries within South Asia.

MIT played a significant role in establishing the Indian Institutes of Technology.[42]

Tensions have occurred between South Asian countries and their diasporas over support for separatist movements, as in the case of India and its Punjabi diaspora over the

Canada-India diplomatic row.[43]

The diaspora and its host countries

See also: Stereotypes of South Asians

The Hindu diaspora has come under some scrutiny in its host countries for playing an increasingly significant role in promoting Hindu nationalism, with some diaspora members disapproving of the scrutiny and opposing Hindu nationalism.[44][45][46][47]

Some Punjabis have joined gangs in recent decades in Canada.[48]

In popular culture

North America

Russell Peters, a famous Indo-Canadian comedian.

In the United States, representation of the South Asian diaspora has steadily increased; in previous decades, Apu of The Simpsons had been the most prominent South Asian representation, but now there is significantly more varied representation, with comedians like Hasan Minhaj achieving success.[49]

Video games

Venba is a video game that depicts themes of Tamil-Canadian immigration by exploring Tamil cuisine.[50]

Thirsty Suitors explores romantic relationships involving a South Asian-American protagonist.[51]

See also

South Asian sub-diasporas

Other topics

References

  1. ^ "The Desi Diaspora: Politics, Protest, and Nationalism". academic.oup.com. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
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  5. ^ "What term best describes those from the Indian subcontinent? It depends on who you ask". NBC News. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  6. ^ Sircar, Anisha (2020-12-08). "Is the term 'Desi' offensive? Some South Asian Americans think so". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
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  8. ^ "Suriname verwijdert buste koloniale tijd". www.nd.nl (in Dutch). 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
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  15. ^ "A Tale of Two Nomads: Racism and Migrant Labor in the Middle East". Harvard International Review. 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
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  20. ^ Mahabir, Dr Kumar. "Disappearing Ancient Games In The Caribbean". Academia.
  21. ^ Department of Sport and Recreation - Annual Report 2007-2008 https://www.kzndsr.gov.za/
  22. ^ Desk, NewsonRadar (2023-10-04). "Asian Games: Indian connect in Malaysia's men's kabaddi team". News On Radar. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  23. ^ "Take my breath away — A kabaddi story". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  24. ^ DHNS. "Kabaddi is now cool sport, thanks to Bollywood, corporates". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  25. ^ "British Indians fall in love with 'Kho Kho', reconnect with roots". The Indian Express. 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
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  28. ^ Khan, Yusuf. "Major League Cricket Is Here—in a Minor-League Baseball Stadium". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  29. ^ Kasi, Brashna (2023-08-01). "MLC: Cricket breaks new ground as America's South Asian diaspora gets a taste of T20 extravaganza". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  30. ^ "Media Companies Eye Cricket-Loving Diaspora in the U.S." The New York Times.
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  35. ^ "Leicester: Why the violent unrest was surprising to many". BBC News. 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
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  37. ^ "Even in the US, South Asians say caste has proved hard to escape". CNN. 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
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  42. ^ "Uncovering the rich connections between South Asia and MIT". MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  43. ^ Sen, Somdeep. "India wants to take on Trudeau. It's taking down its own diaspora". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  44. ^ "Hindu nationalist surge in India creating fissures in diaspora". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  45. ^ "India must stop spreading Hindu nationalism to its global diaspora". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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  47. ^ Deuskar, Nachiket (2023-05-16). "Hindutva is increasingly influencing the Hindu diaspora – and extending Indian politics overseas". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  48. ^ "After Moosewala's murder, spotlight back on (Punjabi) gangs of Canada". The Indian Express. 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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  50. ^ "Venba: A video game about a South Indian immigrant's story one recipe at a time". The Indian Express. 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  51. ^ "Video Games Are Lagging Behind In South Asian Representation". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
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