Posted on 19th August 2024
Arsenal fans mark South Asian Heritage Month
Arsenal Women Supporters Club (AWSC) are one of a number of our member groups who marked the recent South Asian Heritage month. We caught up with the chair of the group, Farah Chowdhury, to find out a little bit more…
Why did AWSC decide to promote South Asian Heritage Month this year?
There’s a feeling that many people simply aren’t aware of it, and it doesn’t have the same level of recognition that other events such as Pride or Black History Month get, so I really wanted this year to lead work in this area, to not only showcase South Asian Heritage Month but to educate around it.
While the women’s game is broadly very inclusive, and a safe environment where people can be themselves, within the South Asian community there’s a feeling that we get left behind and not many people speak about it.
So it was important for me to put my face out there, which in the context of what’s been going on in the past few weeks was a pretty scary thing to do, and to spotlight our South Asian fans, wherever they come from.
How important is that visibility, when it comes to working with the AWSC?
When it comes to under-represented groups within our fanbase, I very much think it’s a case of ‘seeing is believing’.
When I joined the committee there were probably only a handful of people in our matchday crowd who looked like me, and through my work with the fan group and becoming part of the community around it I think I’m actually a lot of people’s first South Asian friend.
So it was important for me to represent AWSC as a brown girl, and let people know there was a South Asian girl leading this work for the supporters club.
And what’s the feedback been like?
We’ve been spotlighting different members of our fanbase from across different South Asian communities, and the responses we got have been amazing, and it’s been incredible to showcase those individuals’ stories.
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Overall it’s been super positive, and it’s nice to feel like you’re making just a little bit of an impact – if it can help any person within the community to think that they can come to a game or become involved in it then that’s really special, and we’re doing something right.
We’ve been highlighting people who aren’t perhaps the most active members of the supporters club, but hearing about how we have made them feel part of the community and how it makes them feel safe is really gratifying.
We want other people to know that there are people who look like you, and it doesn’t matter who you are, there’s a space here for you.
Presumably this is something that you’ll come back to not just next year, but as part of an ongoing process?
The reality is that there’s still so much to be done – I really hope our work in this area leads to something where we can have educational conversations and work further with the club in future, and for them to adopt more work around the South Asian community who are a huge part of our fanbase.
A key part of that is allyship. It’s the key to us getting to where we want to be – it’s the basis of inclusivity. I know how incredible the South Asian community is, how massive it is, but having that support [from outside the community] is so important.
Everyone should know the game is for them.
Find out more about Arsenal Women Supporters Club on Instagram and Twitter.
