South Asian Heritage Month: A Journey Through History and Culture
South Asian Heritage Month 2024 runs between the 18th of July and 17th of August. It is a month that is very important, as it focuses on the rich culture and contributions that South Asians have made worldwide.
It is a celebration that was established in 2020 in the UK and was designed to raise awareness of South Asia and to celebrate the diverse culture and history it has, bridging cultural divides and promoting inclusivity.
What is South Asian Heritage Month 2024?
The theme of this year’s South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is ‘Free to be Me’. The dates are the same every year, with the 18th of July the date of the Indian Independence Act 1947, when King George VI gave royal assent to the act, and the end date of 17th of August is the date in 1947 when the Radcliffe Line was published, setting out the border between India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
This period of the year also includes other independence dates of South Asian countries.
Every year, SAHM seeks to mark and celebrate the culture, history and communities of South Asians and the impact the region has had on UK life, from food to music, clothing, poetry and verse.
It is important that South Asians, as all people should, are allowed to share their own personal stories, to reflect on the past and to build a brighter future.
What countries make up South Asia?
The following countries make up South Asia:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- The Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
All of these countries have been impacted by Britain and the British Empire in their history
South Asian Heritage and the UK
There are approximately 5 million people of South Asian heritage living in the UK. That’s 7.5% of the entire population. South Asia is an area with one of the oldest civilisations in the world, and is vibrant and important geopolitically, culturally, politically, and socially.
The people of South Asia have had a positive impact wherever they have ended up, as can be seen in the crucial part they have had to play in British life.
The National Health Service is a prime example of the impact of South Asians, as it is carried on the backs of immigrant workers and those who are second and third-generation. In fact, 5.3% of all NHS staff are made up of South Asian people.
That is a figure of over 75,000 people, filling roles from all areas of the health service including surgeons, nurses, doctors, cleaning staff, administrative roles and more.
Events at South Asian Heritage Month
There are countless online and in-person events taking place throughout the UK to help celebrate South Asian Heritage Month and to raise awareness, through educational workshops, film screenings, cultural festivals, food experiences, social and community events, and artistic performances.
Fragments of a Panorama by Murthovic and Thiruda
11th July to 13th October 2024
Arebyte Gallery, London.
A kaleidoscope of worlds shimmering between a speculative future and an alternative past, this show created by a visual artist and a musician brings together a whole host of historical pieces, cultural traditions, and both sonic and visual heritage to explore the cultural heritage of South Asia through film, interactive experiences and sculpture.
Swan Song: sing her to me
13th July to 22nd September 2024
Phoenix Art Space and Exeter Phoenix
Remi Rana-Allen uses found documents and visual materials to piece together history and narrative. Utilising sculpture, collage and film, it is an exhibition based on two years of extensive research into her Great Aunt, who was the first Indian woman to be sentenced to be hanged in British colonial Kenya in 1949.
Stories that Made Us: Protest and Identity Exhibition
19th July to 27th September 2024
St. Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry
Hardish Virk brings the inspiration of thousands of artefacts that document the South Asian experience in Coventry and beyond, with this Protest and Identity exhibition. It aims to address the themes of protest and identity and explores different types of protest and the relationship that develops over time between the communities and individuals who protest.
Famous South Asians
South Asian people have been responsible for some amazing things over the centuries. Here are just a few reminders of famous South Asian people who have invented and created important things.
Janaki Ammal (1897 – 1984)
India’s first female plant scientist, Ammal’s amazing research into cytogenetics, the study of how chromosomes affect cell behaviour, led to the discovery of high-yielding, sweeter hybrid varieties of sugarcane. This helped India at a time when it needed to rely less on imported sugarcane. She later became an environmental advocate for the protection of native Indian plants.
Sake Dean Mahomed (1759-1851)
An Indian surgeon and entrepreneur who was the first to introduce Indian cuisine, therapeutic massage, and shampoo baths to Europe. He was also the first Indian person to publish a book in English.
Cornelia Sorabji (1866-1954)
She was the first woman to study law at Oxford University, having fought long and hard to sit alongside her male colleagues in the law exam. She was a pioneer for bringing equality to higher education and for opening up the legal professional to women and was later a writer and broadcaster in Britain in the 1930s.
Aftab Ali (1907-1972)
A Bengali social reformer, British Indian and East Pakistani politician, his work is now recognised as having helped thousands of British South Asian lascars to settle and find work in Britain.
Shah Abdul Majod Quershi (1915-2003)
A British-Bangladeshi restaurateur and social reformer, he was the first Sylheti to open up a restaurant in Britain, some of the earliest Indian restaurants in this country. He also led pioneering social welfare work for the working-class diaspora of British Asians.
The success of people from South Asia shows what is possible for students looking to find the right career, no matter where they are from in the UK or abroad.
A South Asian in The White House?
In the USA right now, we can see the impact of South Asia on the world, with the current Vice President, Kamala Harris running against Donald Trump to become the next President. She is the first Democratic presidential nominee of South Asian heritage; her mother was Indian. Her candidacy has increased political engagement among Asian Americans, and as this is the fastest-growing group of voters in the USA, it will be interesting to see how the Presidential race turns out later in the year.
Britain is at its best when we celebrate the heritage of all those who live here, no matter their background, race, religion, or heritage. South Asian Heritage Month is always worth celebrating, as South Asians have played a profound part in many great things in this country and the rest of the world. We welcome international students from all over the world to our student accommodation, with a warm embrace, comfortable housing, and towns and cities that offer many great attractions, things to do, and people to meet, along with the high class level of academic study on offer.