Assamese Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Assam lies along the mighty Brahmaputra river in India's north-east. It is famous for its tea, for the one-horned rhinoceros of Kaziranga National Park and for its silk. Assamese is the main language. People from Assam in Birmingham include doctors, engineers, researchers and students.

The community in numbers

The 2021 Census does not publish a separate Birmingham figure for the Assamese community, which is counted within the census's figures for Indian heritage and for other South Asian languages. By any measure it is one of the city's smaller communities, which makes the ties between its members all the closer.

Working for Birmingham

Assamese professionals in Birmingham work in healthcare, engineering, research and technology, and many have come for postgraduate study before building careers in the city. Birmingham's tea lovers owe a debt to Assam, whose strong black tea is a staple of the British breakfast cup.

Every community that has settled in Birmingham has helped to shape it. Newcomers have filled gaps in the workforce, opened shops and restaurants, and raised children who have gone on to become the city's doctors, teachers, engineers and entrepreneurs. The Assamese community is part of that tradition of hard work and ambition, and of the city's own motto: Forward.

Culture and community life

Bihu, celebrated three times a year and most joyfully in April at the Assamese New Year, is the heart of Assamese culture, with its lively dance, drums and songs. Families share pitha rice cakes and fish curries, wear the traditional mekhela chador, and gather with friends from across the region.

For anyone who wants to learn more, the best introduction is the simplest one: say hello. Birmingham's communities are at their best when they meet, share food and learn from one another, and the Assamese community is a warm part of that everyday exchange.