Desi Totally Explained

Everything about Desi totally explained

Desi (or Deshi; or [ˈd̪eːʃi], Hindi: देशी, Urdu: دیسی, Punjabi: ਦੇਸੀ, دیسی) is a Urdu/Hindi word literally meaning "of the country." In North America and Great Britain, it's 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:

"Desi" can also refer to someone or something "local," "regional" or "indigenous" to the subcontinent (as opposed to videshi/bideshi/pardesi विदेशी, وِدسی meaning "foreign").

History

The term comes from Sanskrit ("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 Languages of India and several other South Asian langages. For example, Bangladesh means "Bengali homeland."
During the heyday of the British Raj/Empire, many people from the then undivided Asian sub-continent emigrated to the 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 the Partition of British territory. Families from the affected areas sought safety in various Commonwealth countries.
Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora. Some second or third generation immigrants, but not all, don't 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.

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, convenience products and Indian- and Pakistani-influenced fusion cuisine.
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. Heritage varieties of vegetables and other produce can also be qualified as "desi."

Writers

The diasporic Desi community are prolific in English. Some writers of note (alphabetical by last name):

Monica Ali

Anita Desai

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Gita Mehta

Vikram Seth

Rabindranath TagoreFurther Information

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