South Asian Heritage Celebration at George Washington University

Monthlong celebration centred around the theme “Echoes of the Past: Unveiling Ancient Wisdom,” honors South Asian traditions and values

By Arun Kumar 

South Asian students at George Washington University are hosting a monthlong South Asian Heritage Celebration with events for students to uplift the various South Asian cultures and their personal upbringings.

This year’s annual program centred around the theme “Echoes of the Past: Unveiling Ancient Wisdom,” encourages students to embrace the “nostalgia” of the lessons and wisdom passed down from their ancestors, according to the South Asian Heritage Celebration co-chair Anoushka Chopra.

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Chopra, a sophomore studying international affairs, says this year and last year’s theme — Once Upon a Time: Weaving the Threads of Tradition, Diversity and Resilience — are similar because they’re both rooted in storytelling, which she said is a “huge” part of South Asian culture.

“Storytelling and embracing our past do really go hand in hand because you’re learning from the stories you were told, as well as kind of creating your own stories,” Chopra said.

SAS is hosting “Nostalgia Night” in Anniversary Park on March 22, where students will tend to a bonfire and encourage attendees to write letters to their past or future selves.

Hosting a monthlong celebration like SAHC is a form of “resistance” against efforts to cease diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, mainly carried out by President Donald Trump’s executive orders, said Chopra.

Trump has vowed to end federal DEI programs and cut funding for universities that use “racial preferences” as a deciding factor in hiring, admissions and financial aid. “We want to show you that you can’t get rid of us,” Chopra said. “You can’t try and get rid of us through these anti-DEI measures.”

Co-chair Adyant Patnaik, a sophomore studying political science, said critics often dilute South Asian cultures into one and that SAHC highlights how many South Asian countries share cultural aspects, like fashion, dance and cuisine, but also have their own unique traits.

The Indian Students Association hosted an art exhibition at the GW Textile Museum titled the “Stranger Project,” which featured a table of poems about being South Asian in the United States and South Asian art. “The push and pull of being Indian and American is sometimes too much. I’m afraid I’ll never have a true home,” one note on display read.

Aditi Venkateswaran, the president of the Hindu Students Association, said HSA is hosting two major events, including their annual Holi celebration in Square 80 on March 22 and a new nighttime celebration in the student center’s Columbian Square on March 21 for Holi.

Venkateswaran said one of her favorite parts about SAHC events is that it attracts a diverse group of people, which indicates to her that non-South Asian students are learning and embracing the culture.

She said South Asian hate is normalized in the United States with the media often stereotyping characters by making jokes about South Asian accents, “poor hygiene” and food. She added that community-wide celebrations like SAHC allow students to educate themselves on different groups of people and cultures.

“Making these comments and jokes toward other cultures and races would never be okay, as they are racist, but when it comes to South Asians it suddenly doesn’t matter as much,” Venkateswaran said in an email.

Program:

March 21 at 7 p.m. Rang Ki Raat, University Student Center, first floor,800 21st St. NW

March 22 at 2 p.m. GW HSA Holi Celebration, Square 80, 2110 G St. NW

March 22 at 6 p.m. Nostalgia Night, Anniversary Park, F Street between 21st and 22nd streets, NW

March 27 at sundown Interfaith Iftar, USC Grand Ballroom, 800 21st St. NW

April 5 at 6 p.m. Bhangra Blowout, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW

April 13 at noon Punjab Day Mela, Kogan Plaza, 2121 H St. NW