In December 2022 the Chai in the City Open Group for Punjabi men met virtually to discuss the topic of Punjabi Identities in 2022. Here are some reflections from the brilliant team who facilitate and contribute towards those conversations.
This month the online forum topic for discussion was ‘What are Punjabi Identities in 2022’ this was a very large topic for discussion with varying opportunities to discuss the experience of forum members.
As always, the forum had questions to help guide the discussions; What does it mean to be Punjabi today in the UK; what are the positives and not so positives sides to our culture; how do you think Punjabi’s are presented in the media; is there unity within our communities (across Faith, Caste and national borders).
There was a broad number of attendees from both the UK, North America, and India, which made the discussion really open beyond the issues in the UK.
We were fortunate enough to have people from a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to share in the discussions which created a safe space to really explore the subject.
The themes that came out were very similar wherever people had experience from, which gave an emerging positive picture of the development of the cultural identity. Sometimes the connection outside of the Punjab can be stronger and more open.
There are clearly some challenges that all encounter and sometimes the struggle with creating identity within the community is both helped and hindered by external views of the community through media and the people around us.
What was interesting was unity appeared to be stronger outside of the Punjab as communities come together across previous boundaries.
It was also clear that the generational differences were finding new ways to connect to the cultural identity as well as each other, a positive sign of evolution and adapting to a changing world around us.
The importance of having a connection to our heritage and cultural roots are important to our wellbeing was also echoed by the group.
The forums are a great safe place to explore issues that have an impact either directly or indirectly to our wellbeing. Participating in the facilitated spaces are a great opportunity to share and hear about a range of subjects, and we are always keen to hear from participants about subjects for future forums.
