desi

Desi (pronounced /ˈd̪e:si/ or /ˈd̪e:ʃi/, Hindi: देसी, Urdu: دیسی and alternatively spelled Deshi), is a term that could refer to three things: people of South Asian origin (e.g. British Asians and South Asian Americans)^[1][2][3][4] or people of Pakistani and Indian origin only^[5][6] or people of Indian origin only. ^[7]. This is also the name of the subculture found amongst the Indian diaspora^[8] and South Asian diaspora.^[9] The blog Sepia Mutiny uses the term "Desi-American" along with other terms such as "brown".^[10]

Desi Identity

The term comes from the Sanskrit ( देशः ) "Deśah" ("nation" or "the motherland") ^[11] and when pronounced as Deshi/Desi, it refers to something that has its roots in Desh/Des (Desi-Countryman, Desi Ghee-Indian Butter, Desi Dawaa-Home Remedy). According to Desi Knowledge, Desi is Hindi for "people from India".^[12] As most of South Asian languages can trace their origins to Sanskrit, the word for country is "Des" or "Desh" in them. According to the Desi Clothing Company, it means "roots, pride and culture".^[13] For Sandip Roy Chowdhury, Desi means a (South Asian) person coexisting with mainstream society. ^[14]

Two individuals argue that desi only means Indian due to its linguistic origins. The owner of Desiknowledge claims desi means "people from India".^[15]. Jennifer Polan claims desi means Indian from India. ^[16] The main argument that Desi means Indian only is that desi is a Sanskrit word (pertaining to the Vedic tradition) therefore its use should be limited to Dharmic people rather than Pakistan and Bangladesh.^{citation needed]} See also Partition of India.

Jug Suraiya considers SAARC which has improved Indo-Pakistani relations^[17] to increased the sense of people-hood among desis. ^[18]

Amongst people from the Indian subcontinent, especially in English-speaking First World countries, this term refers to the blend of cultures and identity of the South Asian communities.^[19] Moreover, many of their ancestors left the Subcontinent before its partition or some of them have mixed Desi background and consequently don't relate to a single native country.^{citation needed]}

Evolution of the Desi identity

The Desi identity has been conceived in Great Britain according to the theorists Stuart Hall, Paul Gilroy, Avtar Brah, and Gayatri Spivak. In the UK, desi-specific music is seen as a political statement while in the US it is not. Desi culture in the UK is seen as a rebellion against British integration. In the US, it is a cultivation of a South Asian American identity. For Ameican Desis, the desi identity incorporates both Indian and American culture.^[20]

Desi music, food and dance

Desi music and dance are used to reference trendy Indian, Pakistani and Bangaldeshi music and dance. According to Desi-Radio, Desi music is defined as being Pakistani or Indian music .^[21]. eBolly:Bollywood all the way also includes Bangladeshi music too. ^[22] Desi music is used in reference to trendy music from India such as music at Dj Desi^[23] Desi dance refers to Bhangra ^[24] among other dance forms such as traditional/classic dances like Bharathnatyam and Kuchipudi, to popular dances in the movies, to Punjabi dance, Raas, Bhangra, folk dances, Bhangra beat, Desi hip hop, filmi remixes, etc.^{citation needed]}

Desi food refers to food like rice, curry, daal, dosa, idli, roti, chapathi etc.^{citation needed]}

A unique style of music has arisen amongst the Desi communities of the United Kingdom. Artists like Panjabi MC (who has an album called Desi) and Apache Indian have mixed the style of Indian music played along with bhangra dance with hip hop and reggae, and used a mix of the English and Punjabi languages, and have often spoken about the experience of being caught between two cultures. Similarly Indian duo, Kanchan and Babla covered popular songs of the Trinidadian genre of "Chutney music" by Sundar Popo, which fused Caribbean and Indian melodies and was sung in Hindi and Bhojpuri. The Pakistani group, Junoon (two of whose members were brought up in America) mixes traditional Pakistani folk music, Sufi poetry, and Rock and Roll. In a similar light is Boston's Punjabi punk band, The Kominas. Part of the new Taqwacore movement, the band combines Desi music with punk, with songs written from a Muslim perspective. A. R. Rahman, one of the most popular Desi artists, blends classical South Indian and Hindustani music with western music to give some quintessential contemporary Desi music. Shahin Badar's voice was heard in British electronica/rave/rock band The Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up which was a rare sound at the time, at least in North America.^{citation needed]}

MTV is now launching MTV Desi in the United States. This new station popularity is being increased by word of mouth among South Asians. ^[25]This could lead to increased popularity of the term Desi in American vernacular.^{citation needed]}

Desi literature

The list of desi writers range from the classical style writings of RK Narayan to the more contemporary Anita Desai, Gita Mehta, Arundhati Roy and Raj Kamal Jha. In recent times Suketu Mehta (Maximum City), Mitra Kalita (Suburban Sahibs), Monica Ali (Brick Lane) or Jhumpa Lahiri (Namesake) have written about their home country from a desi writer's perspective.^{citation needed]}

Shobha De popularized the use of Hindi words in English writing when she was editing Stardust, a trend that has become increasingly mainstream. ^{citation needed]}

Other desi writers write humorous fiction, e.g. Upamanyu Chatterjee (An English August), Chetan Bhagat (Five Point Someone) or Abhijit Bhaduri (Mediocre But Arrogant). ^{citation needed]}Salman Rushdie (Midnight's Children), Vikram Seth (A Suitable Boy) are desi writers who have found a global readership. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Mistress of Spices) has made waves. Over the past decade Desi writing has become bold (e.g. Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things) and now the writers do not feel the need to explain the use of Desi terms that are liberally used in their stories.^{citation needed]}Gautam Malkani's recent novel Londonstani, explores the Desi phenomenon explicitly in the lives of male British Asians in Hounslow, West London. Whats Right With Desi Boys^{citation needed]}

See also

• American-Born Confused Desi (ABCD)
• Fresh off the boat
• Bangladeshi American
• Indian American
• Pakistani American
• British Asian
• Indo-Canadian
• Pakistani Canadian
• Indo-Caribbean
• Asians in South Africa
• Indian Malaysian
• Indian Singaporean
• Indo-Fijian
• Non-Resident Indian (NRI)
• DESI Develop Empower Synergize India
• South Asians in Hong Kong

External links

• The Desi Diaspora
• "What’s right with Asian boys" Gautam Malkani, FT, April 21 2006.
• Community for Desis Planning to Return to India

References

1. ^ Mohan, B. Biz India. Ready to eat! Indian Packaged and processed food taking off in North America. September 4,2006. <http://www.garamchai.com/>.
2. ^ Desi Connection USA.com. September 4, 2006. <http://www.desiconnectionusa.com/>.
3. ^ Desi Voice. 2005. September 4,2006. <http://p076.ezboard.com/bdesivoice>.
4. ^ Javier, Loren. welcome to my community: asian american: terminology. September 4,2006. <http://lorenjavier.com/asian/terminology.html>.
5. ^ Desi-Radio. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.desi-radio.com/index.php>.
6. ^ Apundesi. 2005. September 4,2006. <http://www.apundesi.com/>.
7. ^ Desi Knowledge Brainfood from India. September 4,2006. <http://www.desiknowledge.com/about.html>.
8. ^ Mehta, Vijay. Boloji. Confused Desi! Who is Really Confused? Parents or Children??. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.boloji.com/society/03003.htm>.
9. ^ Desi Culture Club. September 4, 2006. <http://students.brooklyn.cuny.edu/direct/desi.htm>.
10. ^ Ahmed, Tanzila. Alternet mix the message. Desi Power Online. 2006. September 9, 2006. <http://www.alternet.org/wiretap/33078/>.
11. ^ Desi Radio. Welcome to Desi Radio. September 4, 2006. <http://www.desiradio.org.uk/>.
12. ^ Desiknowledge. What is Desi Knowledge? September 4,2006. <http://www.desiknowledge.com/about.html>.
13. ^ Desiwear About Us. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.desiwear.com/usa/aboutus.htm>.
14. ^ Chowdhury, Sandip Roy. From Paki to Desi. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.indiacurrents.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=4cd33b42b739a82a3ae63f5f720522d0>.
15. ^ Desi Knowledge Brainfood from India. September 4,2006. <http://www.desiknowledge.com/about.html>.
16. ^ Polan, Jennifer. Is mine a case of reverse culture shock? 2003. September 4,2006. <http://members.tripod.com/~jennifer_polan/india/backtousa.html>.
17. ^ Datta, Sreeradha. Power and Interest News Report. S.A.A.R.C.: A Potential Playground for Power Politics 2006. September 6, 2006. <http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=473&language_id=1>.
18. ^ Suraiya, Jug. The Times of India. Jugular Vein. 2006. September 4, 2006. <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1528685.cms>.
19. ^ NRI Pulse. The Next Generation of Fusion Fashion. 2004. September 4, 2006. <http://nripulse.com/CityNews_Nat_Poshpari06.html>.
20. ^ 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>.
21. ^ Desi Radio. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.desi-radio.com/>.
22. ^ eBolly:Bollywood all the way. September 4, 2006. <http://www.desifm.com/>.
23. ^ DJ Desi. September 4,2006. <http://www.djdesi.com.au/>.
24. ^ Hot Ashes. 2006. September 4,2006. <http://www.hotashes.com.au/forum/index.php>.
25. ^ Kiviat, Barbara. Time. Chasing Desi Dollars. 2005. September 4, 2006. <http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article/0,9171,1079504,00.html>.