American Born Confused Desi (ABCD) is an offensive
ethnic slur that refers to people of
Desi origin (of
South Asian, especially Indian, descent), raised in the
United States. Its use by other races, recent Indian immigrants in particular for coming up with the term is regarded as offensive. It is a close relative of the term
Jook-sing or "A.B.C." for
American-born Chinese. The ethnic slur was developed out of immigrant/non-immigrant hostility.
"Confused" refers to a hypothetical confusion regarding identity, having been born in America or lived there since childhood and been closer to American culture than their ancestor's native culture. The notion of this identity crises comes from differences in accent, dress, and etiquette between recent immigrants and
American Born Indians.
Most modern day "
American Born" Indians have very strong ties to India. They frequently visit friends and
family in their ancestor's native land. They typically cherish their Indian heritage, and observe both
American and Indian cultural traditions. The typical
American Born Indian is fluent in speaking an Indian language in addition to English, and understands both the
American cultural value system and the Indian cultural value system. Most integrate into American society easier than recent Indian immigrants.
This idea of the hypothetical confused identity is not unique to Indian Americans alone - Hostility toward
British Asians (the term used for Indians and other South Asians raised and living in Britain) have dawned similar ideas of struggles.