Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month runs every year from 18th July – 17th August, ending on the anniversary of Partition. At SRtRC we join all of the organisations and individuals who are celebrating and honouring the impact of South Asian culture.
It is a month-long celebration of the existence and legacy of individuals with origins in the South Asian countries of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. By marking this date we can consciously acknowledge and learn more of the history whilst appreciating the rich cultural legacy of all of these countries.
Along with providing learning opportunities for others, the month enables people of South Asian heritage to reclaim their history and identity by sharing their own stories and experiences.
At Show Racism the Red Card we aim to provide educational resources and an accessible path for everybody to either begin or continue their own learning on different cultures. We also hope to use our reach and platforms to amplify the voices and messages of those who want to speak up or have a ‘Story to Tell’ – the theme of this years South Asian Heritage Month.
For teachers and all other educational providers please login to our Red Card Education Hub to access our South Asian Heritage Month toolkit – this is a downloadable asset with activities, a powerpoint and links to truly inspire and engage your learners with the history and culture of South Asia.
On our hub you will also find a book review for ‘Dream Like Me’ by Manish Tailor, the book profiles 42 pioneering individuals working in all parts of football and who represent different cultures and faiths within the British Asian community, our blog is written by Aksa Ghaffar the newest member of the SRtRC team.
Manisha has also stepped into the limelight to discuss her role as Assistant Head of Coaching at Queens Park Rangers on the 25/25 SRtRC podcast hosted by our Honorary President Shaka Hislop. As a female and of South Asian heritage Manisha is playing a vital role in challenging perceptions and being role model to others. Manisha is joined by Millie Sian who joins us from BBC Sport, sharing her unique perspective as a young South Asian female embarking on a career in journalism in 2023, what has changed between the time when Manisha was leaving school with dreams of stepping into the field and now Millie doing the same?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4XVSDcKJKY
Our VOICES platform also gives us the opportunity to hear from a range of members of the public who have ‘Stories to Tell’. We hear from Tan Dhesi, Britain’s first turban wearing Sikh MP. Here he talks about his journey to Parliament, and his belief that we need to initiate debates and develop programmes to build bridges rather than walls in our society. To hear Tan’s follow this link
We are looking forward to sharing two new contributors relating to South Asian Heritage month so please keep visiting ‘Voices’, and remember if you have expertise or experiences that you feel could share to help the public gain greater understanding of the impact of discrimination please get in touch.
To learn more about how to get involved with South Asian Heritage month visit South Asian Heritage Month and please follow us on social media to hear more about the work at Show Racism the Red Card.
