The Desi Debate

Seriously, some people have no work!

This is how it all started on the NYU Journalism List-Serv (by Anjali):
Were you born in India and are now studying here? Or were you born and raised here? Or something in between? No doubt (if you fell under any category) you've contrasted/ compared the advantages/ disadvantages of American born versus Indian born Indians. Confused yet? Now I'm writing about it and I want to hear from you! The interview will be short, sweet and fun. Either phone or email works: your call. Holler back!

Mayur:
Dear Anjali, It's nice to someone who is so enthusiastic to write about the situation of an Indian in U.S. and their understanding of their own culture.
However, I would suggest for you to know a difference between a "Desi" and an Indian. They both are completely different words and I think the former cannot be used to call or describe the later. "Desis" comprise people mainly from South-Asian countries. Additionally, I don't find the word "Desi" to appealing to call someone from any country or community here. And I do know that people from our former generations have been using it since a long time and has used it as a label for Indian community here . Being an Indian myself, I am not biased towards my community or not criticising any other community.
But I guess everyone would agree with the fact that it's more respectable to be specific when you are looking for people or talking about them.
Thank you for your time and patience.
Good Luck with your story.
Best.
Mayur.
Mayur Prakash Pahilajani
Newspaper Journalism (Master Degree)
Department of Journalism. GSAS.
New York University. New York.

Anjali:
Hi Mayur,
For the benefit of all those who missed out on our slight exchange (since I replied only to you in previous mail): let me clarify --- as an Indian myself, I do not see anything derogatory in the term desi.
Furthermore, I certainly did not mean to demean anyone from my community - and apologize for any discomfort the use of the term may have caused you. That said, you seem to have misread my email because the only mention of the word was in the subject line where I should perhaps have further clarified my subject to 'Calling all Indian Desis' as I have always believed that 'desi' is a term used to describe someone from your own country.
That said, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desi), the term refers "to the blend of cultures and identity of the South Asian communities of the west, crossing national and cultural boundaries that separated them in their ancestral countries."
Whereas according to http://www.free-definition.com/Desi.html, it is: Desi, (pronounced /they-see/) and Deshi (pronounced /they-she/) are the two variants of an Indian word which means national as opposed to foreign. But for Indians abroad, it has become a term that mainly identifies an other fellow Indian. It is also applied to anything seeming very Indian (to a Non-Resident Indian (NRI)). Sometimes it is replaced with the more generic word Indian, but it is agreed upon that Desi brings the real flavour for the expression."
Clearly, the second interpretation is the way I meant to use it.
Again, I apologize for any harm caused. I tend to forget how sensitive people can be.
~ Anjali

Mayur:
Hi Anjali,
Thank you for reminding me to open up our exchanges for others too.
Well, it's not about being sensitive but it's certainly about respect. I won't blame you if you don't find "Desi" a derogatory word as I did mention in my last mail to you the fact that now we all are used to using that word. It has become a common label now on all of us.
Also, I know my community (and what people should be called as) better than the person who has written that encyclopedia, which you referred me to check for the definition of the word. In that case why should I rely on any website that was written according the understanding of popular few?
By the way I never meant to offend you in any way through my replies. And I have just expressed my opinion, which I thought worth mentioning it. Mayur



Honestly, where do these people come from?!!

p.s. Note Mayur's Signature - Master Degree - like Master Vijay or Master Akhilesh (that's how they used to credit male child stars in Bollywood films)? Uff!