From India to Brum: Finding Home and Solidarity in the Heart of the Midlands
Sahithi’s Story
Moving across the world is always a gamble. When I packed my bags and left India for Birmingham, I expected the usual challenges of relocating to be grey skies, deciphering a completely new accent, and figuring out where to get the best groceries. What I didn’t expect was to step off the train and instantly feel a profound, comforting sense of recognition.
As a "New Brummie," my first few months have been a fascinating lesson in what South Asian Heritage Month’s theme, "Unity in Diversity," actually means in practice.
In India, we are intimately familiar with our own internal diversity, like languages, regional traditions, and cuisines. After arriving in Birmingham opens your eyes to a whole new layer of global solidarity. Here, "South Asian" becomes a shared umbrella under which Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan communities intersect, collaborate, and look out for one another. We share spaces, we share stories, and most importantly, we share a collective voice.
As I’ve settled in and looked past the surface celebrations, I’ve realised that this vibrant sense of belonging wasn’t handed to the community on a silver platter. The thriving, unapologetic South Asian presence we see in Birmingham today is the direct result of decades of resilience. It was carved out by generations of migrants who stood their ground, fought discrimination in housing and workplaces, and demanded a seat at the table.
This is exactly why organisations like the Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG) are so vital. It’s easy to celebrate our culture when it comes to food, music, and festivals, but true solidarity means moving beyond cultural acceptance and pushing for structural equality. Seeing the local community’s historic and ongoing fight for anti-racism doesn't just make me feel welcome; it makes me feel inspired to be a part of the city's future.
To me, being a New Brummie who recently moved to Birmingham from India means honouring the generations who laid the groundwork, celebrating our beautifully diverse roots, and joining the collective push to ensure Birmingham becomes a genuinely equitable, anti-racist city for everyone who calls it home.