Desi 231570 225903272 2008-07-15T23:03:41Z 122.109.214.156 {{Cleanup|date=June 2008}} {{otheruses1|the South Asian people}} '''Desi''' (or '''Deshi'''; {{pronounced|ˈd̪eːsi}} or {{IPA|[ˈd̪eːʃi]}}, [[Hindi]]: देसी, [[Urdu]]: دیسی, [[Punjabi]]: ਦੇਸੀ, دیسی) is a word originally from [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] literally meaning "from the country" or "of the country". In [[North America]] and [[Great Britain]], ''desi'' is used colloquially to mean South Asian immigrants and their descendants. This self-referential colloquialism for those of South Asian heritage living outside the [[Indian subcontinent]] was created in the [[United Kingdom]] during the early 1960s to late 1980s and is sometimes pronounced "dezzi." In this sense, it can include: * [[Indo Aussies]] (Australians) * [[British Asian]]s * [[Bangladeshis]] * [[Sri Lankans]] * [[Indo-Canadians]] * [[Indo-Fijian|Fijian Indians]] * [[Asians in South Africa|Indian South African]]s * [[Indo Kiwi]]s ([[New Zealand]]) * [[Indo-Mauritian]]s ([[Mauritius]]) * [[Punjabis]] * [[South Asian American]]s * South Asians in [[Canada]] * [[South Asians in Philippines]] * South Asians in [[Zimbabwe]] Within India, ''desi'' connotes "local" or "indigenous", as distinct from ''videshi'' or ''pardesi'' ("foreigner"). The word is occasionally used derogatorily or self-deprecatorily by Indians themselves to connote something of poor or inferior quality. == History == The term comes from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|देश}} ''{{IAST|deśa-}}'' ("region, province, country"). The word for country is "Des" or "Desh" in many languages in the Asian sub-continent. ''Desi'' thus means ''"of the homeland"'' in many languages of [[Languages of India|India]], [[Languages of Pakistan|Pakistan]], = and other countries of the subcontinent. During the heyday of the [[British Raj]], many people from the then undivided Indian sub-continent emigrated to the [[United Kingdom|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 [[Partition of India|Partition]]. Families from the affected areas sought safety in various Commonwealth countries. Starting in the 1960s, the [[USA]] dramatically increased the amount of immigration permitted from Asia, leading to large immigration from the subcontinent. 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.<ref>Kvetko, Peter. [http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~dkapchan/home/folkloreweb/interactive/indianfilm/indianclub.html When the East is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth]. September 4, 2006.</ref> However the term Desi is most commonly used in association with the Punjabi Sikh Community spread through western nations. == Food == In the U.S. and U.K., "Desi food" most often refers to dishes commonly served in the South Asian communities of the diaspora, especially westernized restaurant dishes such as [[chicken tikka masala]].<ref name='Toronto Star'>{{cite news | first=Sanjeev | last=Chandra | coauthors= Smita Chandra | title=The story of desi cuisine: Timeless desi dishes | date=February 07, 2008 | url =http://www.thestar.com/DesiLife/article/300969 | work =Toronto Star | pages = | accessdate = 2008-05-13 | language = }}</ref> It may also mean "native" or "traditional." Common examples are "desi ghee," which is the traditional clarified butter of the Asian subcontinent, as opposed to more processed fats such as vegetable oils. "Desi chicken" may mean a native breed of chicken. [[Plant breeding|Heritage]] varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi." The dish [[chicken tikka masala]] is also said to be invented by a Bangladeshi [[chef]] in [[East London]] after a customer asked for gravy with his [[chicken tikka]]. ==Writers== The diasporic Desi community are fluent in English and include numerous 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]] * [[Kamila Shamsie]] * [[Rabindranath Tagore]] ==Artists== * [[Faris McReynolds]] (Painter) ==Musicians== * [[Sameer Bhattacharya]] * [[Tony Kanal]] * [[MIA]] ==Actors== * [[Naveen Andrews]] * [[Sarita Choudhury]] * [[Parminder Nagra]] * [[Ajay Naidu]] * [[Maulik Pancholy]] * [[Kal Penn]] * [[Indira Varma]] ==Directors== * [[Gurinder Chadha]] * [[M. Night Shyamalan]] ==See also== *[[Desh]] *[[Pradesh]] *[[Indian American]] *[[Pakistani American]] *[[British Asian]] *[[Indo-Canadian]] *[[Indo-Caribbean]] *[[Asians in South Africa]] *[[South Asians in Hong Kong]] *[[Indian Malaysian]] *[[Indian Singaporean]] *[[Indo-Mauritian]] *[[Hindoestanen]] *[[Indo Kiwi]] *[[Fiji Indian]] *[[Indian-Germans]] *[[Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin|Non-Resident Indian (NRI)]] *[[United States foreign born per capita income]] *[[MTV Desi]] *[[Paisan]] A similar (non-pejorative) self-referential word used by [[Italian Americans]]. ==External links== <!-- Do not add your website to this section. Wikipedia is not a web directory. --> * [http://www.askasia.org/teachers/essays/essay.php?no=126 The Desi Diaspora], essay by Vijay Prashad at AskAsia.org * [http://www.mydesiishq.com My Desi Ishq], A new web site for Indian-Americans. * [http://forum.chatdd.com Desi Community], A Desi Community for all Abroad Desi's. ==References== {{reflist}} {{NRI-PIO}} {{Overseas Pakistani}} [[Category:South Asian people|+]] [[Category:Indian diaspora]] [[Category:Asian American culture]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Canada]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Oceania]] [[de:Desi]] [[es:Desi]] [[fr:Desi]] [[hi:देसी]] [[nl:Desi]] [[pa:ਦੇਸੀ]] [[rmy:Desi]] [[zh:德西]]