desi

The term comes from Sanskrit देश 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 India, Pakistan, and other countries of the subcontinent. Typically, "desi" is slang commonly used by Indians.

During the heyday of the British Raj, many people from the then-undivided Indian 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 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.

Similarly, the split of the East Pakistan Wing from West Pakistan in 1971 required that the newly independent country obtain a name. The Awami League and the Bengalis (both East and West Bengal, even before partition) had colloquially referred to their homeland as 'Bangla-desh' meaning the homeland of Bengalis. The National Assembly then adopted 'Bangla Desh' as the name for the country.

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.^[1] For example, urban desi is a new genre of music formed by the fusion of traditional Indian and Western urban music.