Member-only story
My long time readers know I am adopted. I did not learn of my personal family tree and genealogical heritage/roots/culture until I was in my teens/twenties due to DNA testing. I was speaking with some of my Romani cousins (all over Europe) earlier today about the identity of “Desi” and it’s really, really complicated.
Urban Dictionary for example claims that any young person raised in America by India or Afghanistan (or similar geographical location) parents can claim the identity of “desi”. However, Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia book (made in 2010) claims that “Desi” is used to describe anyone who is an immigrant of south Asia. As the identity has grown and evolved with internet culture, it has naturally evolved and changed slightly over the years (as well as many different people having a slightly varied definition of it).
Us Romani emigrated out of India many years ago (long story). Some of us Romani remained in India. Romani have since migrated all over the globe. Some of us look a lot “closer” to our traditional India roots (dark hair, dark eyes, a dark olive complexion, etc.) while some of us look “white as snow” with more traditional northern European looks. Some of us don’t get that more traditional India look until after a medical crisis (say for example chemotherapy that sometimes results in massive physical changes in appearance like hair color and texture as well as slight…
