The word 'Asian'

[lemiel14n3]

I'll admit, when I think "Asian", really what I think of is "Oriental". I am , intellectually, aware that Asia technically extends out through India, stopping, I believe, at the Alps, although I could be wrong as American geographic education doesn't seem to be overly concerned in teaching precise locations outside of our own borders.

It seems strange to me that "Oriental" isn't the common vernacular, it hardly seems offensive to me, (but then, I'm not from the Orient)

And for your mention of people from the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East and North Africa, we do have a term, "Arabic".

I don't really see a problem with any of the above... but then I'm a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant. I'm a bit too "above" the situation to be qualified to speak on their issues. (Although... I am part Native American... but I don't show it, oh well, back to 'secretly' ruling the world... wait! ignore that last bit! pretend I never said it!)

 

[mionic]

i´m from Sweden and i use it as a name for the people in Asia, mostly the eastern part, though...

 

[smithy_2045]

In my experience, East Asia (east of India) is just Asian. India is India, and everything west of India is just ignored.

 

[Layzor]

Umm, Asian is used for oriental Asia everwhere I've been in the U.K., Where are you from?

 

[Fleeker]

To the TC....Middle Eastern or Arabic might be the best non bigoted word(s) you can use.

 

[Gigano]

Such word already exist; they're Caucasian [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race].

Although simply going by their nationality is usually more relevant than race these days.

 

[Spoon E11]

I know what your talking about. But when I hear asian I think of the whole thing. Now if I were to hear indian subcontinent or the far east then I would get specific.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

"Asian" to describe East Asians alone is stupid. Russia is also Asian. And India.
Personally, I think we should adopt colours. Yeah, kinda racist offensive to refer to like Chinese dudes as "yellow" and Indian dudes as "brown" because, you know, they're not. But black people are not black, and white people are not white.

Let's keep things fucking simple, here. All of this dancing around is just creating confusing language.
"African American" isn't correct either. Jamaica isn't African. Haiti isn't African. Going to England and calling English black dudes "African Americans" will just get you laughed at. Why not go for the easiest solution here and quit it with the bullshit political correctness.

EDIT: THAT IS NOT WHAT RACIST MEANS

 

[Sanglyon]

Any pr0n site can answer that question for you. Just select the "asian" category, and you'll see what most people mean by "asian": Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai... ;p

Russia is also Asian. And India.

Only half of Russia is in Asia.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Considering I'm Chinese in RL I do use the word Asian but I do think of India, Japan etc as Asain as an whole since that is how it suppose to be.

 

[fgdfgdgd]

I have never, ever, heard of Indians being referred to as Asians. Asian means China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, et cetera. Not exactly accurate but thats what people usually say.

Indians are usually called Indians. Or if people are being rude, punjabs. Even though Punjab is a very small region of India.

Pakistanis and the like usually just get the "arab" moniker since if its brown and you cant identify it it must be a arab right? [/mocking hillbillies]

It's not exactly correct but that's what people usually mean.

Really? Left out Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma and the other dozen or so smaller Asian countries that people think 'Asian' for, sure, there is India, that is Asian, so is Mongolia and even more countries around there; please know more before you represent our country on a forum of 'intellectuals' that often debate at the drop of a hat.

 

[theklng]

I've recently been thinking about the word 'Asian' which, at least in the UK, is used mostly to refer to people from West Asia (India/Pakistan/Bangladesh), and not to Chinese or other East Asian countries. But in this article it seems to be being used to refer also to people from Arabic countries, and to me this is just getting a bit weird. What seems to be happening is that it's becoming a racial term that is just a euphemism for 'brown-skinned', and that just seems misleading - especially given that the vast majority of actual Asians are Chinese!

I think we need an unambiguous, non-racist word to refer to the mostly Muslim and Hindu brown-skinned population that inhabits West Asia and the Middle East. 'Brown' would work (and before you say it's racist, 'black' appears to be fine), but in the US, it seems to be mostly used to refer to Hispanics (I noticed it particularly in The West Wing). So is there any other word we can use?

I'm tempted to suggest we should revive the good old-fashioned 'dusky'

you could strip the american definition of caucasian and apply it to the people it applies to in the rest of the world.

 

[lucky_bob45]

As the middle east isnt an actual continent they are considered part of the continent of Asia, much like india or pakistan, thus the term Asian is technically correct.

 

[Vrach]

When I hear asian i think Chinese/Japanese.

and i'm from scotland.

For some reason I read your second line in a stupid Scottish accent (I also read the word "stupid" there in the same accent. Please don't think too much of it). Now that I think of it, it's the one off GTA 4, the guy talking to Laslo about writing a meaningful song about rain

OT: India's pretty close to China in population numbers, so it's hardly true that a vast majority of Asians are Chinese. I also have to say, my first thought on "Asian" is also Chinese/Japanese, so what you're talking about seems to be purely subjective.

Either way, the word Asian means "someone from Asia". Just like the word(s) "North American" mean someone from the continent of North America, even though your first instinct could be to disregard Canada and think of US citizens. Similarly the word(s) "smelly European" would indicate a person of a bad smell who is from Europe, regardless of the fact your instinct might be to think of the French.

[small](If not obvious, that last sentence was a joke)[/small]

 

[SckizoBoy]

Chinks?

I don't know whether you're being deliberately obtuse or genuinely think that's a good replacement... I'd like to see it when you call a Japanese person that.

OT: As a BBC, I'm inclined to go Asian = East/Southeast, but since I went to school with a lot of Indians & Pakistanis, to me, Asian = someone from Asia (in the 'duh' sense).

The slightly idiotic way (that I've encountered) of breaking it down is: Arab (which is often misapplied), Subcontinental (which I find demeaning) & Oriental (which I find overly simplistic).

 

[Arafiro]

Whenever I use "asian" I use it exclusively for eastern asia and no exceptions. It confuses me greatly when people use it to refer to those in western asia, even though it's technically correct.

 

[Trolldor]

I thought Asian meant you were from a country in Asia. Go figure

It does, but for the most part it references Oriental Asia, as opposed to those in the Middle East or South Asia. It's the problem with such a massive continent. Too many cultures.

 

[TheEndlessSleep]

I think we should abolish the term 'Asian' and start calling people from that region by the country that they are from, rather than the continent.

Surely calling people by the name of the country they're from is what we do with the rest of the world?

If we went by continent, most of the Russians in the world are technically 'Asian', and New Zealanders are technically 'Australian'.

Also, if somebody dares to call me European I will be writing a very stiff letter! I say...

 

[Anjel]

I thought Asian meant you were from a country in Asia. Go figure

It does, but for the most part it references Oriental Asia, as opposed to those in the Middle East or South Asia. It's the problem with such a massive continent. Too many cultures.

I guess it's the same with someone describing themselves as European though. Okay so not so many cultures but it still doesn't narrow it down much. Do people still use the term The Americas? Can see that causing a few inquisitive looks as well.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Russia is also Asian. And India.

Only half of Russia is in Asia.

Thank you, I do have a map.