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South Asian American

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South Asian Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to the Indian subcontinent, often known as South Asia. The overwhelming majority (1.6 million) trace their ancestry to India, though there are also significant communities from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Many South Asian Americans can trace their ancestry to countries outside South Asia; their ancestors often migrated to India during British rule. New York City has a large Indo-Caribbean community [link] whose ancestors started migrating to British-ruled lands in the Caribbean in 1838, especially Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Many other South Asian Americans migrated from Fiji, Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Identity

Especially amongst the younger generation and individuals brought up in America, there is a tendency to identify with others within the broader South Asian community, who may not necessarily share a common national origin, language, or religion. Some of these people refer to themselves as Desis, from a Sanskrit word used in many South Asian languages and meaning "countryman", which they will also apply to people whose ancestral roots are in a different country from theirs.

See also

External links


 


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