History
The word 'desi' evolved from the Sanskrit term 'desha', which stands for country. With time its usage shifted more towards referring to people, cultures, and products of a specific region .
During the height of the British Raj, many people from the Indian subcontinent emigrated to other British colonies. Indians increasingly referred to foreign lands as pardeś, and their homeland as swadeś.
After the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the United States dramatically increased immigration from the Indian subcontinent. As increasing number of Indian students arrived in the US and UK, India was colloquially referred to as deś. Thus, all things Indian including Indian expatriates were referred to as "desi". Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora and hence the appellation has also been adopted by communities from other South Asian nations.
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.
Read more about this topic: South Asian Diaspora
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