Asians in South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Asian South African | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| Regions with significant populations | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Language | South African English, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil and Chinese |
| Religion | Islam, Hinduism and Christianity |
| Related ethnic groups | Asian, Desi and British Asian |
Asians in South Africa constitute two per cent of South Africa's population, and most are of Indian origin, although there is also a small Chinese community (sometimes classified as Coloured (mixed race) or White under Apartheid) [1]. Traditionally the group does not include the "Cape Malays", descended -- at least in part -- from South East Asians, who were classified as "Coloured" under apartheid. The term Asian is usually regarded as synonymous with Indian in South Africa.
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[edit] Indians
Most Asians in South Africa are descended from indentured Indian labourers who were brought by the British from India in the 19th century, mostly to work in what is now the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). and from Indian traders who followed in their wake.
[edit] Culture
Most Indians are either Hindu or Muslim, and while a few still speak Indian languages like Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati, which have constitutional protection, almost all younger Indians speak English exclusively, and use Afrikaans or Zulu as a second language.
Although Indian languages are seldom spoken or understood by younger Indians, English-subtitled Bollywood films and television programmes remain popular among South African Indians. These are broadcast both by the South African Broadcasting Corporation's SABC 2 television channel for a few hours each week (Eastern Mosaic at 11am on a Sunday), and by the DStv satellite television service, which carries Zee TV, B4U, NDTV and a Hindi language Sony channel, as well as South Indian channels, introduced in 2004. DVD and video versions of Bollywood films are widely available, and large movie theatre chains like Ster-Kinekor increasingly show Bollywood films. Indian culture in South Africa has some similarities to the worldwide Desi subculture, although the term Desi is almost unknown in South Africa.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) also has an Indian-oriented radio service called Lotus FM, launched during the apartheid era. The Sunday Times has a supplement distributed in Indian areas called the Extra.
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
The first batch of Indians came on board the Truro in 1860. They were followed by others who were also imported as indentured labourers to work on the Sugarcane plantations of Natal. The rest are descended from Indian traders who migrated to South Africa shortly afterwards, many from the Gujarat area. KZN's largest city, Durban, has the largest Asian population in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi worked as a lawyer in the city in the early 1900s.
[edit] Apartheid
Discriminated against by Apartheid legislation like the Group Areas Act, Indians were forcibly moved into Indian townships, and had their movements restricted. They were not allowed to reside in the Orange Free State, and needed special permission to enter that province. They were also, as a matter of state policy, given an inferior education compared to white South Africans. The University of Durban-Westville (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal) was created for Indian students in the 1970s. Indians in South Africa were (but rarely today) referred to by the racial epithet coolie by racists of the other races.
In 1983, the Constitution was reformed to allow the Coloured and Indian minorities a limited participation in separate and subordinate Houses of a tricameral Parliament, a development which enjoyed limited support. The Indian house was called the House of Delegates. Some aspects of Indian life were regulated by this house, including education. The theory was that the Indian minority could be allowed limited rights, but the Black majority were to become citizens of independent homelands. These separate arrangements were removed by the negotiations which took place from 1990 to provide all South Africans with the vote.
[edit] Post-apartheid
Indians played an important role in the anti-apartheid struggle, and a few rose to positions of power after the 1994 elections in South Africa. After the end of apartheid, it seemed like many Indians, particularly the poor, had begun to support formerly white parties such as the Democratic Alliance and New National Party, as they felt threatened by the policies of the ruling African National Congress. This trend appeared to have been reversed in the 2004 elections, with most historically Indian areas voting for the ANC.
Following the end of apartheid, a new wave of South Asian immigration commenced, with the new immigrants moving into Indian areas, where, presumably they will be less conspicuous to authorities, as many are illegal immigrants. However racism from black South Africans is a rising concern among many South African Asians. For instance, there may be a warmer welcome in South Africa for an African American from the United States of America (to work and immigrate) than for an Indian South African returning "home" after studying in the USA. There are many global and local factors that make South Africa a "success story" and an attractive "home" for the Black diaspora. In the short term, non-white minorities in South Africa feel marginalised and the target of criminals, both home-grown and immigrant.
[edit] Chinese
The much smaller Chinese community was initially descended from migrant workers who came to work in the gold mines around Johannesburg in the late 19th century, although many were repatriated. They are now vastly outnumbered [2] by more recent Chinese immigrants, including immigrants from Taiwan, with which apartheid South Africa maintained diplomatic relations. This caused difficulties for the apartheid regime, as Chinese South Africans were classified as 'non-white', whereas Taiwanese Chinese, along with Japanese, were considered honorary white, and thus granted the same privileges as whites. Many Chinese South Africans dislike the label 'Asian', which they associate with being of Indian or South Asian descent, and many Chinese have since emigrated to Canada, especially Vancouver [citation needed].
In late 2006 it emerged that the Chinese Association of South Africa was preparing legal action to have Chinese recognised as having been disadvantaged under Apartheid, in order to benefit from Black Economic Empowerment. Complicating this attempt is the presence of immigrant Chinese who were not disadvantaged by Apartheid, and vastly outnumber locally born Chinese. A futher complication is the less leniant restrictions faced by Chinese under Apartheid, and the honorary white status of Taiwanese and Japanese under Apartheid [3].
The term Indian is far more commonly used than Asian, in South Africa, although examples of both usages can be found. In South Africa Asian is, in most cases, regarded as synonymous with Indian.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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Ethnic Groups of South Africa |
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| Afrikaner | Anglo-African | Asians | Bushmen | Cape Coloured | Cape Malay | Coloured | Griqua | Ndebele | Sotho | Tsonga | Swazi | Tswana | Venda | Xhosa | Zulu |
