The EmbRace Network would to introduce you to some South Asian icons in their respective industries. Whilst the UK has a long history with South Asia, most notably India, it’s only been in recent years that more South Asians have provided much needed diversity within popular culture.
They all have stories to tell, some of these stories have encapsulate the very best of British South Asians – how they’ve been influenced, and how they’ve influenced British culture for the better.
Nadiya Hussein MBE
Hussain is a second-generation British Bangladeshi, born and raised in Luton, Bedfordshire.
She’s a ‘Great British Bake Off’ winner and a talented author, presenter and TV Chef, with shows like ‘Nadiyas British Food Adventure’ – exploring the influence being British-Asian has had on her cooking style.
Krishnan Guru-Murphy
He’s the second longest-serving presenter at Channel 4, most known for tackling difficult or controversial in the series unreported world. He’s shined a light on issues that often compound diverse ethnic communities across the world, bringing awareness to their plight.
Gurinder Chadha, OBE
A Filmmaker who provides an insight into the blending of cultures and South Asians' experience living and working in Britain.
Gurinder Chadha was born in Nairobi, Kenya – then a British colony. Her Punjabi Sikh family family was part of the Indian diaspora in East Africa. Her father and mother were both born in Kenya, and remained there until the political turbulence leading up to independence prompted the family to consider relocating. Her family held "united citizenship" under the British Nationality Act 1948 which granted them full rights of entry and settlement in Britain
‘’If you tell me I can't do something, that's the worst thing to tell me. And that's what I tell girls, and what 'Bend it Like Beckham' (the film) is about: you can do it, you can do it better, and you can do it in the way you want.’’
Riz Ahmed
Rizwan ‘Riz’ Ahmed is a British actor and rapper. He was born in Wembley, to a British-Pakistani family of Muhajir background. His parents moved to England from Karachi, Pakistan, during the 1970s.
He’s received several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, he was named in the Time 100 listing of the most influential people in the world
“I don’t like to talk about ‘diversity’,” he explained. “I feel like it sounds like an added extra. It sounds like the fries, not the burger, you know? It sounds like something on the side - you’ve got your main thing going on, and yeah, you sprinkle a little bit of diversity on top of that.”
