In support of South Asian Heritage Month, which began on 18 July, we’re delighted to bring you the first of two interviews with colleagues who are of South Asian Heritage to highlight what the event means to them – and probably to many across Britain.
This time it’s Tasneem Choudhury, from the Broker Services team at PRIMIS, who answers our questions.
What does South Asian Heritage Month mean to you?
Being British Asian, seeing the South Asian contribution to our society being recognised makes me (and others) feel recognised too, from contributions to business, medicine, science, politics, sports – not to mention the food!
South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM) is designed to honour and celebrate my culture and history. I also see it as a way for everyone to appreciate and learn new things and to be given the opportunity to find out about and celebrate the diverse contributions to our society . It also allows for there to be recognition of the history of the event and to highlight related stories and experiences.
What’s the importance of the event this year?
In 2024, the theme for SAHM is ‘Free to be me’, where people are embracing who they are, sharing similarities and honouring our differences. To be proud of who you are, everyone has their unique identities when you carry that as a blessing, it creates a platform to highlight voices.
Feeling embarrassed or hiding yourself and your voice due to the casual racism being normalised in regard to South Asians feels like the distant past, as while this is still alive, to really feel comfortable and confident while facing it is more liberating.
Being of South Asian Heritage in 2024 means to see myself being represented in all walks of life, seeing inspiration, and knowing that reaching any goal is truly possible. From seeing better representation on TV, for more than just comedic relief, to even the head of the government, (politics aside)!
Having all this just adds to encouraging me to embrace myself and culture fully, so I can be ‘free to be me’.
How can LSL support those from South Asian Heritage to be their authentic selves?
The work the Inclusivity and Diversity Forum is doing, that Elaenore (our Chair) is doing, in terms of recognition and amplifying the voices of groups in our society is really important, and allows you to feel included within the workplace, while learning something new along the way. SAHM also brings a recipe campaign to encourage everyone to get involved and stuck in, and who doesn’t love good food! It’s something everyone feels united with.
Thank you Tasneem.
Want to find out more about South Asian Heritage Month?
If you’d like more information about the celebrations – or have more questions to ask – simply get in touch with me or Tasneem via Tasneem.choudhury@primis.co.uk. Please also look out for more news about our celebrations in the weeks to come – including, next week, a recipe to launch our campaign to celebrate the often ‘much loved’ South Asian food.
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