Desi Agent

Desi Desi Desi… that’s all we’re hearing nowadays,

Here is a truly Proud Desi Indian!

A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is an American.
She asks her students to raise their hands if they wereAmerican too.

Not really knowing why but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands

explode into the air like flashy fireworks.

There is, however, one exception.

A girl named Gita has not gone along with the crowd.

The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different.

“Because I am not an American.” replied Gita.

“Then”, asks the teacher, “What are you?”

“I’m a proud Indian,” boasts the little girl.

The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Gita
why she is an Indian.

“Well”, my mom and dad are Indians, “so I’m an Indian too.”

The teacher is now angry. “That’s no reason”, she says loudly “if your mom
was an idiot, and your dad was an idiot, what would you be then?”

A pause, and a smile.

“Then” says Gita, “I’d be an American.”

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Here is a little History Lesson:

What is Desi?

Desi [ˈd̪esi] (Hindi: देसी, Punjabi: ਦੇਸੀ (or جو), Urdu: جو, Tamil: தேசி, Malayalam: ദേശി, Telugu: దేశీయుడు) or Deshi [ˈd̪eʃi] (Marathi: देशी, Gujarati: દેશી, Bengali: দেশী) refers to the peoples, cultures, and products of India – and subsequent to “Partition“, the wider South Asia (i.e Indian Subcontinent).This ethnonym belongs in the endonymic category (i.e. it is a self-appellation). The term comes from Sanskrit देश deśa- (“region, province, country”). It has also been said to be a corruption of the word Deshastha which is the original sub-caste of Brahmins belonging to the state of Maharashtra.

Nepali: नेपाली uses des(h)i (देसी / देशी)or the related mades(h)i (मधेसी / मधेशी) to refer to people from the Terai (Madhesh) who are racially, linguistically and culturally like people in adjacent India, as well as for people from India proper. In this way, both are differentiated from Paharis and others from the Middle Hills and higher mountains. The distinction matters because the Kingdom of Nepal was essentially run by and for Paharis. Since Nepal became a republic in 2008, full enfranchisement of its citizens in the Terai has become a heated and contentious issue.

History

The first usage of the term was found in the 200 BC text Natya Shastra, where it defines the regional varieties of performing arts (folk), as opposed to the pan-Indian margi (classical).

During the height of the British Raj, many people from the then-undivided Indian subcontinent emigrated to other British colonies, in search of education and opportunity. During after immigration reforms in 1965, the U.S. dramatically increased the amount of immigration permitted from Asia, leading to large immigration from the subcontinent.

Communities that have remained distinct in South Asia have tended to mix in diaspora. 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. 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.

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

Performing arts

The Natya Shastra refers to the regional varieties of folk dance and music elements as “desi”, and states that these are meant as pure entertainment for common people, while the pan-Indian margi elements are to spiritually enlighten the audience. The medieval developments of the classical Indian dance and music lead to the introduction of desi gharanas, in addition to the classical gharanas codified in Natya Shastra. The desi gharanas further developed into the present-day adavus.

Food

In the U.S., “Desi food” most often refers to dishes commonly served in Indian communities of the diaspora, especially westernised restaurant dishes such as chicken tikka masala.

It may also mean “native” or “traditional.” Common examples are “desi ghee,” which is the traditional clarified butter of the Indian 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”.

“Desi diet” refers to a diet and food choices followed by the Indians around the world.

(courtesy of  Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi)