Desi

This article is about South Asian people. For other uses, see Desi (disambiguation).

Desi [d̪eːsi] or Deshi [d̪e(ː)ʃi] refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, etc. There are large desi populations in (e.g.) the UK, US, Canada, Australia and other western countries as well. Desis constitute about 24% of the world population. About 1 in every 4 human beings is a 'desi'

Etymology

Bengali: দেশী, Gujarati: દેશી, Hindi: देसी, Kannada: ದೇಸಿ, Malayalam: ദേശി, Marathi: देशी, Punjabi: دیسی,ਦੇਸੀ, Tamil: தேசி, Telugu: దేశీయుడు, Urdu: دیسی.

This ethnonym belongs in the endonymic category (i.e. it is a self-appellation). Desi originated from the Sanskrit word देश deś- ("region, province, country"). Its first known usage is in the Natya Shastra (~200 BC), where it defines the regional varieties of folk performing arts, as opposed to the classical, pan-Indian margi.

History

During the height of the British Raj, many people from the then-undivided Indian subcontinent emigrated to other British colonies, in search of education and opportunity. After immigration reform in 1965, the US dramatically increased immigration from the Indian subcontinent. Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora. Some second or third generation immigrants do not think of themselves as belonging to a particular nation, sub-culture, or caste, but as just plain South Asians or desis, especially as intermarriage between different South Asian diaspora communities increases.

Nepal

Nepali uses des(h)i or the related mades(h)i (मधेसी, मधेशी) to refer to people from the Terai (Madhesh) who are linguistically and culturally like people in adjacent India, as well as for people from India proper. In this way, both are differentiated from Paharis and others from the Middle Hills and higher mountains, who traditionally controlled politics in the Kingdom of Nepal. Since Nepal became a republic in 2008, attempts to fully enfranchise the Madhesi have led to conflict.

Culture

Some diaspora 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" both with each other and with elements from Western culture.^[1] For example, urban desi is a new genre of music formed by the fusion of traditional Indian and Western urban music.^[2] The growing demand of popular programming for South Asians caused mtv to launch their own television channel for Desis called mtv desi.

Performing arts

The Natya Shastra refers to the regional varieties of folk dance and music elements as "Desi", and states that these are meant as pure entertainment for common people, while the pan-Indian margi elements are to spiritually enlighten the audience. The medieval developments of the classical Indian dance and music lead to the introduction of Desi gharanas, in addition to the classical gharanas codified in Natya Shastra. The Desi gharanas further developed into the present-day adavus. There is raga in Indian classical music known as Desi.

Food

In the U.S., "Desi food" (Desi cuisine) most often refers to dishes commonly served in Indian communities, especially westernized restaurant dishes such as chicken tikka masala.^[3]

It may also mean "native" or "traditional." Common examples are "desi ghee," which is the traditional clarified butter from India, as opposed to more processed fats such as vegetable oils. "Desi chicken" may mean a native breed of chicken. Heritage varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi". "Desi diet" refers to a diet and food choices followed by Indians around the world.

References

1. ^ Kvetko, Peter. When the East is in the House: The Emergence of Dance Club Culture among Indian-American Youth. September 4, 2006.
2. ^ Urban Desi: A Genre On The Rise
3. ^ Chandra, Sanjeev; Smita Chandra (February 7, 2008). "The story of desi cuisine: Timeless desi dishes". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/DesiLife/article/300969. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 

External links

• Desi City Guide
• Desi Video Network
• Mtv Desi Website