Oxford City Council is supporting South Asian History Month - a national celebration and acknowledgement of South Asian people and communities, cultures and history in the UK.

People and communities of South Asian heritage continue to shape and influence Oxford from food, clothing, music, sports and the arts to healthcare provision, infrastructure, research, academia, businesses, entrepreneurship and more.

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South Asian countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Each of them have a long and complex relationship with the UK, primarily through empire, colonisation, partition and then through immigration.

Councillor Shaista Aziz, cabinet member for inclusive communities, said: “I’m the proud daughter of working class Pakistani migrants who arrived in the UK and Oxford to build this country and contribute to our city and country.

"My South Asian and Pakistani heritage is entwined into my British and Oxonian identity.

“South Asian Heritage Month is also an important opportunity to reflect upon Britain’s colonial history with South Asia and the ongoing impact of this legacy and history on communities in our city and country and how they shape struggles for equality.

“Inclusivity and representation are key to creating an equitable Oxford. This starts with understanding and reconciling our past with our future.”

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