Desi
Desi is a word used by South Asians as a self-designation, denoting a more general common identity without referring to a specific country of origin. It also denotes the subculture of the South Asian diaspora .
The name comes from the Sanskrit word Desh (देशः), which is borrowed from most South Asian languages and means "nation" or "the motherland". In its use among people from the Indian subcontinent , particularly in the English-speaking " First World ", the term refers to the mix of cultures and identities of the South Asian communities and transcends the national and cultural boundaries that separated them in their ancient lands. Also, many of their ancestors left the subcontinent before it was divided , some have ancestors in different groups and therefore do not relate to a single home state.
The South Asians outside of South Asia refer to anything or everyone from their countries or their culture when they speak of Desi or Deshi . Desi denotes a Pakistani , an Indian , a Bangladeshi and a Sri Lankan . Desi food refers to foods such as rice , curry , dal , dosa , idli , roti or chapati . Desi dance can refer to everything from classical dances like Bharatnatyam or Kuchipudi to popular dances from films to Punjabi dances ( Bhangra ) and folk dances.
"Desi" includes:
- All people who come from India (including diaspora)
- All Indo-Aryans , including those in Pakistan , Bangladesh and Nepal
- All other peoples who profess Indian identity (e.g. some other peoples in South Asia such as Siddi or Brahui )
See also
literature
- Richard T. Schaefer: Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society . SAGE 2008, ISBN 1412926947 . P. 382 ( online restricted version (Google Books) )
Web links
- desi. Definition in the Stylebook of the South Asian Journalist Association ( Memento of June 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )