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]
The
Romani, also spelled Romany or Rromani ( or ) and colloquially known as the Roma (: Rom), are an
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
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]
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
South Asian cinema (mainly
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
South Asians introduced some of their
traditional games, such as
kabaddi and
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]
Desi pub is a colloquial term used in the United Kingdom to describe a
public house which is owned or managed by a landlord of Indian origin. These establishments generally serve
Punjabi food while maintaining elements of the traditional British pub, such as
ale and
pub games. The concept of the Desi pub originated during the 1960s following widespread migration from the Indian subcontinent to the UK. Desi pubs have been cited as a successful example of
cultural integration between Asian and British communities.
Community relations
Within the diaspora
South Asian diasporas represent a wide variety of linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and religious groups from across the subcontinent.[31] There are sometimes tensions between these different groups within the diaspora. For example, the Hindu-Muslim tensions created by the 1947
Partition of India sometimes manifest themselves in divisions among Hindus and Muslims in the diaspora, particularly between those of Indian descent and those of Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent.[32][33] These tensions have been noted more frequently among the diaspora in the United Kingdom since incidents such as the
Babri Masjid demolition and the 2014 election of the
Hindu nationalistBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India.[34][35][36]
Discrimination based on the
caste system occurs to some extent primarily within 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.[39] India has issued diaspora bonds in certain crisis situations, such as the
1991 Indian economic crisis,[40] and has given increasing priority to involving its diaspora.[41] Diaspora graduates from
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
Khalistan movement.[39] These tensions have sometimes boiled over to harming relations between South Asian countries and the host countries of the diaspora, as with the 2023
Canada-India diplomatic row.[43]
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
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]
^Khanduri, Ritu Gairola (2 October 2014). Caricaturing Culture in India: Cartoons and History in the Modern World. Cambridge University Press. p. 202.
ISBN978-1-107-04332-9.