South Asian Heritage Month takes place until August 17 to raise the profile and contributions of South Asian art, history and culture.
NCIC is supporting and celebrating South Asian Heritage Month and Shery Shaheryar, a Clinical Educator at the Trust has shared his views on what it means.
Shery grew up in Pakistan and joined NCIC in March 2021.
He said:
“I grew up in an affluent and peaceful part of a small town in Pakistan. My family is working class, running a business. I had this great opportunity to study in one of the top schools for all of my secondary education. It was fun having family and friends around and doing things in a safe space and making everlasting memories together.”
Although Shery joined NCIC during a global pandemic, he was able to return to Pakistan earlier this year to spend four weeks with his family.
He said:
“I must say when I am in the UK it is my family that I miss the most. Then, of course my social circle, work colleagues and also the food, cultural and religious festivals.”
Shery explains what South Asian Heritage Month means to him.
He said:
“South Asian Heritage Month marks and celebrates South Asian cultures, histories and communities.
“The month allows us to showcase the absolute beauty of our culture and how this culture has developed strong links with other cultures around the globe. I was once involved in a history project called ‘Partition Archive’. It was a project telling the stories of the migration between India and Pakistan in 1947. I filmed my grandad’s memories in 2014 as part of the project. I totally understand the invisible connection with culture, histories, people, attire and food.
“I believe the month is a great opportunity to share the uniqueness of South Asian culture and encourage people to portray its dynamicity and flexibility to adapt to other cultures. It’s a great platform to share language, food, clothing, histories and enable understanding and awareness of the culture across the globe.”
South Asian culture has made a significant impact on Britain in various aspects, such as food, clothing, music, words, and the overall ambiance of towns and cities.
It’s a beautiful display of the rich and proud South Asian heritage that has blended into the British way of life, contributing to the diversity of our nation