The promise of chance, opportunity and fulfilment has seen masses flock towards Canada – it is undeniably the immigrant community that gives Canada its colourful social fabric. Amongst the many communities that have heeded to the gravitational pull of Canada is that of the South Asian and the number of South Asian students and student clubs at York itself is testament to the community’s impressive presence in Canada, let alone Toronto.

As any social theorist would have you know, moving out of one’s own land into foreign territory impacts a number of fundamental features of human and social existence. Stuart Hall’s idea of the diaspora is not to be taken lightly and the South Asian community is a potent example of the reality of immigration. Identity, nationality, generational gaps and many other issues come to the fore and at York University there has emerged a key interest in understanding these phenomena at the level of academe.

Understanding South Asia (both internationally and locally) and bringing the various identities that make the South Asian identity together have now become key issues at York. York University now provides for students to attain a degree in South Asian Studies (SAST) and The United South Asians at York (USAY) has formed to cater to the needs and matters of the various South Asian students and clubs on campus.

Studying and Living the Stunning South Asia

A quick skim at the daily news and your eyes will immediately spot the attention South Asia is receiving from the global eye. At the level of politics, society and economics to name a few, South Asia has emerged as a treasure trove of knowledge and academics across the board are consistently attempting to unearth the phenomena that give South Asia its unique shape and space in the world. In fact, another glance at Canada’s (particularly Toronto’s) South Asian population will spell the urgency for the study of the effects on this community’s shift far from South Asia: at the level of culture, South Asia offers a massive scope for interesting analysis and the SAST program taps into this unique space in an interdisciplinary program that aims to understand the temporal role South Asia plays at various fronts. There is a genuine interest in understanding South Asia – South Asia as a geographical location has always been in reach of the global community and the individuals within have spread beyond their lands carrying their South Asian identities with them. As a result South Asia has found itself represented beyond its own space and the realities that have ensued have triggered plenty of interest amongst scholars of various disciplines.

There is a lot which goes into this program and the knowledge being imparted to students is second to none. From journalism to international relations, students stand in line of learning about a unique dimension of human existence and the rich realm of subject areas within the study of South Asia, make this program one to keep an eye out for. In fact, the issues surrounding South Asia have struck students so deeply that it has led a group of York students into forming The United South Asians at York ( USAY ).

This year marks USAY’s first year of functioning at York and with the vision of helping to bring all the South Asian clubs on campus under one umbrella, the group envisions a unique goal of seeking to address a variety of issues facing South Asia. The diaspora that tags South Asians in Canada is at the forefront of their focus and the group aims to enhance the social, political and economic opportunities of South Asians at York and beyond. Impressively, USAY has already set about a bursary opportunity for interested applicants and is already working on plans for hosting a series of conferences. USAY’s vision stands as a valuable asset to the York community : there example is healthy and useful in addressing the diversity that typifies York as well as South Asia.

For more information on South Asian Studies  visit http://www.arts.yorku.ca/sosc/sasia.

 Author: Ali Abbas