Some Rejecting "Asian" Label in Favor of Religious Identity

January 11, 2005

Source: The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1387449,00.html

On January 11, 2005 The Guardian ran a commentary by Sarfraz Manzoor on the rejection of the term "Asian" as a colonial term. He writes, "[T]he very word 'Asian' was also cooked up in this country. It went largely unnoticed at the time but, as I discovered while making a radio documentary, there has been a sharp rise in the number of Asians who are rejecting the label in favour of a religious identity. This growth in religious affiliation is greatly significant and offers both challenges and opportunities for wider society."