10 Ways To Honor South Asian Heritage Month In 2024
South Asian Heritage Month was officially named in 2020 to celebrate the culture and contributions of South Asian countries and their people. During August, many honor the people and countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Maldives. This month can play a vital role in the validation and experience of communities, preserving the rich history and voices of millions worldwide.
Why celebrate South Asian Heritage Month?
South Asian Heritage Month recognizes the diverse cultures and experiences of individuals from the countries of South Asia. Outside of these areas, it offers the opportunity to emphasize the value of mental health awareness and support in every community.
Ways to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month
Below are ten ways you can celebrate South Asian Heritage Month this year.
1. Learn about the diverse cultures of South Asia
During this year's South Asian Heritage Month, it may be valuable to note that South Asia is a diverse region of many countries and communities, all of which have their own unique traditions, religions, customs, cultures, and languages. To thoughtfully celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, consider educating yourself on these countries' vast and diverse areas and peoples instead of lumping them together as one culture.
South Asian territories can include the following:
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Pakistan
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Afghanistan
- The Maldives
You may choose to learn about, and celebrate, the region's history and how these countries differ geographically, socially, politically, and by custom.
2. Explore the contributions of South Asian individuals
Overlooked historical figures from countries in South Asia may have contributed to works of art, science, medicine, politics, and social change. In addition, present-day artists may be under-celebrated for their contributions. South Asian Heritage Month offers individuals a chance to educate themselves on the contributions of these individuals and continue learning throughout the year, elevating, and amplifying their support and progress for the betterment of society across industries.
You can explore the contributions of South Asian individuals by reading, watching, or listening to relevant content. Additionally, you can use that new knowledge with other practices, such as raising awareness of a specific individual or event on social media, discussing it with friends, or reading a book about it.
3. Spread the word about South Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month can be underrepresented in mainstream media. To combat the lack of awareness around South Asian Heritage Month, you can spread the word with friends, family, and coworkers about the month's existence and ways to celebrate it.
You can also spread the word online. You may choose to use a hashtag like #SouthAsianHeritageMonth2023 or #SouthAsianHeritage to remind your friends and followers that this month is a time to honor and celebrate South Asia and people of South Asian heritage and connect with others who are celebrating alongside you.
4. Learn about an issue affecting a country in South Asia
Current challenging events may occur in countries worldwide, and South Asia can also experience these challenges. Research a crisis affecting a country or area in South Asia and how you can help. For example, you may choose to read up on the environmental issues affecting Bhutan, including habitat loss, human-wildlife conflicts, and climate change. As you research, consider your research material and the possible benefits you may gain from researching from unbiased, verified, and comprehensive sources.
After learning about an issue or multiple crises, you may take the time to make the next step or develop an action plan for yourself. You might find a local organization with which to volunteer or sign up for relief support. If you cannot take physical action, you can try to donate to a South Asian cause.
5. Donate to a South Asian-specific cause
While educating yourself about a crisis in South Asia, donating money or time is a practical way to celebrate this month. If you're in a place to donate money, you may choose to donate to a specific cause that affects a community in South Asia.
Note that donations don't have to stop after August. One way to celebrate and honor South Asian populations is to continue your education and support throughout the year.
Some organizations can set up monthly donations, letting you automatically donate each month or every several months. To do this effectively, you may choose to find a group run by representatives of a South Asian community devoted to directly helping the cause of your choice. You may choose to encourage your friends to do the same.
6. Buy from a South Asian-owned business
Wherever you live, your area may have restaurants, shops, services, and other businesses owned and run by people of South Asian heritage communities. You may search online or ask for your friends' favorite restaurants serving cuisines from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, or the Maldives.
In addition, you can choose to find a local boutique selling free-trade items from a South Asian country that donates a percentage of profits back to people in the country of origin. While supporting South Asian-owned businesses, you can also learn more about that community and its diversity.
7. Read content from an author from South Asia
Whether you're a book lover, read articles regularly, or haven't touched a piece of literature in years, reading content is one way to educate yourself and celebrate South Asian Heritage Month simultaneously.
You don't necessarily need to limit yourself to non-fiction content. Suggestions on reading content from cultures other than yours can include a vast library of fiction from South Asian authors. You can also try articles, short stories, novels, essays, or poems. If you are part of the South Asian community, consider posting your writing online or asking a local bookshop if they can display your book to celebrate the month.
8. Watch a movie directed by or starring South Asian individuals
Movies and TV can offer more than a fun respite after the workday. Spending time in August watching media from South Asian creators can be a fun way to celebrate South Asian heritage in an effective, entertaining format.
You may turn to a classic or more modern movie. Consider finding a TV show directed by or starring a South Asian lead. It can be anything from a documentary to a thriller to a comedy special. You might also arrange a movie night with friends to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month.
9. Learn about the experiences of South Asian individuals in your community
South Asian Heritage Month celebrates not just the countries and people of South Asia but also people in America and other countries who have South Asian heritage. That means that your celebration this month may include people in your local community, wherever you live.
People from South Asian countries live worldwide, including in the United States. Additionally, the people from South Asia in your community may deal with issues about which you're unaware, such as racism, discrimination, wealth gaps, and a lack of resources. You may connect with representatives of the culture and explore what those issues look like for South Asian community groups. Taking action may help you learn how to effectively counteract these struggles through volunteer work, financial donations, outreach, awareness, or allyship.
10. Boost the voices of South Asian creators
Raising awareness for South Asian Heritage Month can also include amplifying the voices of South Asian creators on social media. You can use online resources and your social media presence to show their posts and recommendations, whether they are content creators, educators, local businesses, or artists.
Finding culturally informed support
South Asians and South Asian Americans may experience unique challenges and psychological stressors that may actively affect mental health experiences across cultural barriers. However, several treatment options are available for these individuals, including convenient options such as online therapy platforms like BetterHelp.
Online therapy can offer culturally informed care, as you can select whether you'd like to be matched with a BIPOC or LGBTQ+ therapist. In addition, you can note whether you have specific cultural, religious, or spiritual requirements for therapy. After signing up, you may be matched with a therapist fitting your needs within 48 hours.
Studies also verify the effectiveness of online formats. One study found that 71% of participants found internet-based treatment more effective than in-person options. In addition, 100% of the participants noted that online therapy was more convenient.
Takeaway
What month is South Asian Heritage Month?
South Asian Heritage Month is month-long celebration that takes place from the 18th of July to the 17th of August. This celebration was started in 2020 and began in Britain. Co-founders Jasvir Singh, CBE, and Dr. Binita Kane chose these dates to reflect the Indian Independence Act of 1947 (18th July) and the date of the Radcliffe Line’s publication (17th August 1947), when the border between India, West Pakistan, and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was established.
This event is also supported by the Faiths Forum for London. This organization aims to, in their words, “contribute towards a more tolerant London” by promoting cultural awareness for the nine major faiths – the Baháʼí Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism – most popularly practiced in London and the UK as a whole.
Why is South Asian Heritage Month celebrated?
Unofficially, South Asian Heritage Month is a natural escalation of the partition commemoration campaign of various political figures, who aimed to create a day that would commemorate the partitioning of India by the British government, which was extremely detrimental to Indian society. Dr Binita Kane, a founding patron of the event, noted that the day should “remember the cataclysmic events of partition and celebrate the contribution South Asians have made to British society.”
Officially, South Asian Heritage Month was originally recognized in the United Kingdom as a way to celebrate South Asian cultures and the impact of these cultures on the overall culture in the United Kingdom. Per the organization website, this month is intended to be “a beautiful display of the rich and proud South Asian heritage that has blended into the British way of life.” It is further meant to be an opportunity for those with South Asian heritage in Britain to learn about and advocate for their culture and diversity in their communities.
Is South Asian Heritage Month celebrated in the US?
In 1992, the United States federal government officially designated May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, with the founding patron being President George W. Bush. In 2013, this was updated to include South Asian heritage. May is now known as Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Heritage Month in the United States, often shortened as APISAA Heritage Month.
What is the theme of South Asian Heritage Month?
The 2023 theme for South Asian Heritage Month was “Stories to Tell,” asking people of South Asian heritage in the United Kingdom to tell the story of their families and culture by answering two questions:
- What moments in your life have shaped who you are today?
- What experiences have taught you valuable lessons?
Participants were encouraged to write, draw, or otherwise express their story creatively and share it with others to explore how varied our lived experiences can be.
The 2024 theme has not yet been announced, though you can find more information about it and about upcoming events (largely in London and the wider UK) through the official website. You can also learn more from The Grand Trunk Project, a London-based organization whose founding patron and current members aim to promote South Asian heritage celebration.
What is the culture of South Asia?
Because the South Asian diaspora (an estimated 24 million people) comes from several different countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – it’s impossible to define one singular South Asian culture. There are a multitude of rich, varied, and historically significant cultural groups across all of these nations, each with their own unique history and traditions.
What are all the Heritage Months?
Other Heritage Months celebrated in the United States, United Kingdom, and others include
- Black History Month in February (US) or October (UK)
- Greek American Heritage Month in March
- National Arab American Heritage Month in April
- Jewish Heritage Month in May
- Caribbean American Heritage Month (US) or Roma/Romani and Travelling Cultures Heritage Month (UK) in June
- French American Heritage Month in July
- Latina/o Heritage Month (US) or East and South East Asian Heritage Month (UK) in September
- Hindu Heritage Month in October
- Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month in November
Why is it important to celebrate Heritage month?
A heritage day or heritage month offers a dedicated time to examine the impact of both the culture being celebrated on the community in which it’s being celebrated and the negativity or stigma on the culture itself. They are tools for education about diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ways of life, in an effort to celebrate diverse backgrounds while also encouraging cultural preservation and discouraging negative stereotypes and/or discrimination.
What are some fun facts about South Asia?
- Nepal is home to the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, which comes in at 29,029 feet or 8,848 meters tall.
- Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh are among the only 13 countries that still have wild tigers.
- Bhutan is the only country in the world to have banned the sale of tobacco and its derivative products, with a sentence of up to five years in prison if you’re caught selling them.
- India is the largest South Asian nation, with 24 states and covering a land area of 1.2 million square miles or 3.3 million square kilometers.
- South Asia is the birthplace of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, all of which are practiced widely in the region.
- In many South Asian cultures, the eldest son of a family is traditionally responsible for his parents’ care as they age. He is also responsible for his family’s estate.
- In several countries including Fiji and South Africa, Indian Arrival Day is celebrated as the anniversary of the first appearance of indentured servants from the Indian subcontinent (mostly India itself) due to European influence and control. Indian Arrival Day is usually celebrated in May or June (though Mauritius and South Africa observe it in November). Most of these nations also declare Indian Arrival Day as a national holiday.
Why is South Asia so important?
Strategically and politically, South Asia forms the bridge between the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea. This makes it a vital point of maritime trade and economic activity. This region holds roughly a fifth of the world’s population and is a major hub of economic activity and growing world markets for technology and other industries.
In recent history, it has been the site of much war and terrorist activity, but this is not its main importance; South Asia is a diverse and culturally-rich region whose people have dispersed to the wider world thoroughly and deserve to have their personal and cultural lives and traditions respected. It is important that we remember that the people of South Asia are just that – people.
How is South Asia unique?
Geographically, South Asia has some of the most diverse biomes in the world, including unique combinations of features like glaciers, rainforests, deserts, and grasslands, as well as three distinct climate zones in each of its three major water bodies.
Anthropologically, South Asian cultures have produced a wide range of artistic, religious, and political movements and are unique from other cultures in the world in that, despite the varied cultures and cultural groups across these nations, there are commonalities in language, belief systems, and artistic traditions that bind the region together in a way not seen in other geographical regions.
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