What is South Asian Heritage Month?
South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) runs in the UK from the 18th of July to the 17th of August every year.
Both the start and end dates are significant to this region; 18th July marks the Indian Independence Act 1947 gaining royal assent from King George VI, whilst 17th August marks the date that the Radcliffe Line was published in 1947, which determined where the border between India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) would be.
South Asia includes the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, The Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Origin and Theme
SAHM was established in 2019 to honour and celebrate South Asian history and culture. It is an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the countries in South Asia and learn new things about their heritage.
Now celebrating its 5th year, the theme for 2024 is “Free to be me”. Members of the South Asian Community are encouraged to share their stories that capture this theme, covering identity, community, family, faith, and the positive impacts that their South Asian background had on their life in the UK. Read more about the theme here.
Why is it important?
Along with giving others the chance to learn about South Asian heritage, people within the community can reclaim their history and identity throughout this month by sharing their own stories and lived experiences.
The South Asian Community and Inclusion
“In my time working in the UK civil service, I’ve learned that senior job titles rarely come with South Asian names attached…
My work to date has made me very aware of the concerns of constituents throughout the country, and so here I want to express my own. Parliamentary representation by ethnicity is something citizens may very well care about, but it is essentially an internal matter for government to solve, and which if achieved can have a significant and positive impact on the UK public.
I hope public servants of ethnic minority backgrounds will read this and feel emboldened to apply for senior roles within politics, and to make inroads to greater inclusivity at work by reaching out to their peers.”
From “Why UK parliament needs better South Asian representation”, by Nafisa Kiani, business support manager for the UK parliament’s Education and Engagement Department.
“For South Asian Heritage Month, I want to spotlight the intersectionality of Asian Women. There are statistics aplenty quoting the issues women face in the workplace around pay gaps and promotions, which absolutely needs proactive levelling. Women have long reported it is difficult to be taken seriously, be heard and be offered work opportunities that provides them with necessary or advantageous experiences. These struggles however can be compounded further for women from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds who are confronted with racial stereotypes…
This isn’t about dividing and conquering the various intersectionality within women and race; nor is it to say the plight of Asian women deserves a more hierarchically important gaze but it is certainly another nuance or dimension with its own complexities that needs open discussion.”
From the LinkedIn article “The double penalties on South Asian British working women”, by Jenita Treacy.
“My friends and I could all relate to being conditioned into thinking that we were overly sensitive if we spoke up about how the racist comments and actions made us feel. Somehow even though we were being mocked or insulted we were the bad ones for ‘taking it to heart’ or ‘not understanding a joke’. This is exactly how a cycle of prejudice continues – racialised people are made feel as though they are the issue. Our feelings were never validated. Truthfully, they were never considered in the first place.”
From the article on the King’s College London blog “Cultural identity and insecurity: Growing up South Asian in UK schools” by Michaela Tranfield
Further Information and Resources
The official South Asian Heritage Month website and their Instagram page. The organisation have also produced a toolkit to guide employers through holding SAHM events.
A guide to South Asian Heritage Month from Inclusive Employers
This video explains more about SAHM, its origins, theme for 2024 and what employers can do to observe the event
Video from Mind in Bradford: Free to be me: Reflecting on my South Asian heritage
Diverse Minds Podcast, Episode 256: Free To Be Me