History
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: Desi
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The history of progress is written in the blood of men and women who have dared to espouse an unpopular cause, as, for instance, the black man’s right to his body, or woman’s right to her soul.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“The history of American politics is littered with bodies of people who took so pure a position that they had no clout at all.”
—Ben C. Bradlee (b. 1921)
“The history of this country was made largely by people who wanted to be left alone. Those who could not thrive when left to themselves never felt at ease in America.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)