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Asian people
Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the
term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a
particular region or subregion of Asia.[2][3] Though it may be based on
residence, it is also a "race"[4] or an "ethnic group".[5]
Synonyms include Asiatic[6], or Asian Continental Ancestry Group.[6]
Definitions in Asia
Korea and Japan
As early as 1920, Japanese and Korean elites had a conception of Asia as the
civilization of the East in contrast to Europe.[7]
Malaysia and Singapore
In Malaysia and Singapore, their three largest ethnic groups, Malays,
Chinese, and Indians, are all considered Asian.[8][9]
Definitions in anglophone countries
In the United States, Canada and Australia, Asian refers most commonly to
people of predominantly Northeast Asian or Southeast Asian ancestry; however
in the United Kingdom and Anglophone Africa, Asian refers most commonly to
South Asians.[10][11] The U.S. courts have grouped Indians as Asians since
1921 and the U.S. census followed suit in the 1980s,[12] but this is not
reflected in common usage..
In the US, Middle Eastern and Central Asian people are usually not
considered as Asian people,[13] though the term Asian originally referred to
the ancient Near East. This term's modern application varies by region, but
people described as Asian generally inhabit or have origins in the countries
listed below (not including those of Southwest or Central Asia).
According to the definition that includes East Asia at 23.7%, the Indian
Subcontinent at 22.5% and Southeast Asia at 8%, a total of 54.2% of the
world's population would be included in this category.[14] The region to
which the term applies includes the two most populated states in the world;
the People's Republic of China[15] and the Republic of India.[16] The term
Asian also includes the largest single ethnic group in the world, the Han
Chinese.[17]
Definitions by country
United States
For purposes of the U.S. Census, the term "Asian" is a race defined as
"people who have origins in the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia or the Indian Subcontinent. [4] Respondents can also report more
specific ancestry, such as Chinese, Taiwanese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese,
Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Laotian, Thai, Asian-Indian,
Cambodian, and so on, including "Other Asian". Someone reporting these
ancestries but no race will be classified as "Asian". Central Asian
Americans were classified as "Asiatic" on the 1910 US Census which legally
hindered their immigration along with other Asians. Central Asian Turkish
Americans were the targets of anti-Asian hysteria during the "yellow race
crisis".[18]
Asian American Ancestries as defined by the 2000 census
United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind 261 U.S. 204 (1923)[19] was a case in
which the United States Supreme Court decided that Bhagat Singh Thind, a
native of India, could not be a naturalized citizen of the United States,
despite the fact that a number of anthropologists had defined members of the
Indian subcontinent as being members of the Caucasian race. The ruling
followed a decision in Takao Ozawa v. United States where the same court had
ruled that a light-skinned native of Japan could not count as "white",
because "White" meant "Caucasian",[20] establishing White and Caucasian to
be interchangeable terms for a single people of whom neither Japanese
Americans nor Indian Americans are included.[21]
According to a social scientist Rosanne Skirble, the term Caucasian is
becoming less frequently used in favor of White American or European
American.[22] Although the restrictions on immigration and naturalization of
East and South Asians were later repealed, the practice of classifying East
and South Asians in an "Asian" category has its roots in this period. West
Asian Americans were classified as White since they never constituted a
large immigrant group that had significant physical difference from European
Americans.[23]
According to Sharon M. Lee in her 1998 publication, for many non-Asian
Americans in the United States (in 1998) Asian American means Oriental,
Chinese American or Japanese American. This is due to the Chinese and
Japanese immigrants being the first immigrants into the United States.[13]
Today, with the increasing demographic of Korean Americans, South Asian
Americans and Southeast Asian Americans the definition among United States
citizens of who is Asian American is expanding,[24] but in common usage
Asian has only additionally included Filipino Americans, Vietnamese
Americans, and Korean Americans.[25]
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the term "Asian", though it can refer to the
continent of Asia as a whole,[26] is more commonly associated with people of
South Asian origin, particularly Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri
Lankans.[27] The UK usage of the term "Asian" is reflected in the "ethnic
group" section of UK census forms, which treat "Asian" and "Chinese" as
separate (see British Asian).[5] Most respondents to the UK 2001 Census of
non-Chinese East Asian and Southeast Asian descent chose to write-in their
ethnicity in the "Other Ethnic Group" category rather than the "Other Asian"
category, reflecting the association of the word Asian in the UK with South
Asian.[28]
The United Kingdom, Anglophone Africa and Anglophone Caribbean are places in
the Western world where the word "Asian" is used primarily to identify
people from the Indian subcontinent. Due to the term's contested definition
in British English, the use of the term "South Asian" is used for clarity in
discussions in the United Kingdom on colonialism, discrimination, and
migration[29] or when the content of its parameters may become mistakenly
conflated with those of East Asian descent. [30]
Canada
In Canada, Asian refers to people from the Far East, Southeast Asia,[31]
South Asia,[32] and West Asia[33]. Like the United States, in Canada the
term Asian generally refers to the East Asian Canadians since they were the
first Asian immigrant groups into Canada.[34]
Australia
Notably, the Australian Census includes Central Asia, a region that is often
considered to be part of the Greater Middle East.[35] The Australian Census
includes four regions of Asia in its official definition. Defined by the
2006-2011 Australian Census, three broad groups have the word Asian included
in their name: Central and Southern Asian, South-East Asian and North-East
Asian. Russians are classified as Southern and Eastern Europeans while
Middle Easterners are classified as North African and Middle Easterners.[36]
Anglophone Africa and Caribbean
In parts of anglophone Africa, especially East Africa and South Africa, and
in parts of the Anglophone Caribbean, the term "Asian", though it can refer
to the continent of Asia as a whole,[37] is more commonly associated with
people of South Asian origin, particularly Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis
and Sri Lankans.[38]
The United Kingdom, Anglophone Africa,[39] and Anglophone Caribbean are
places in the Western world where the word "Asian" is used primarily to
identify people from the Indian subcontinent, although in South Africa,
Asian can refer to East Asians as well.[40]
New Zealand
New Zealand's census called Statistics New Zealand defines the Asian to
include people of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Filipino, Japanese, Sri Lankan,
Cambodian and Thai ancestries.[41]
Norway
Statistics Norway considers people of Asian background to be people from all
Asian countries, including Turkey.[42][43]
Orientals and the Orient
The term "Oriental" (from the Latin word for "Eastern")[44] was originally
used in Europe in reference to the Near East. It was later extended to the
rest of Asia, but came to refer to Northeast Asians and Southeast Asians in
the 19th and 20th century US,[45] where most Asians were Chinese (and later
Japanese and Filipino). By the late 20th century, the term had gathered
associations in North America with older attitudes now seen as outmoded, and
was replaced with the term "Asian" as part of the updating of language
concerning social identities,[46] which critics have derided as political
correctness.[47]
BBC News regional classifications [46]
The name Asia is probably derived from ancient Assyrian.[48] It therefore
originally referred to the regions now called "West Asia" and "Central
Asia", the Sinai Peninsula to Persia and Asia Minor to Arabia. To the
ancient Greeks, Asia usually referred to the Persian Empire, while to the
Romans, Asia was a small region or, later, province at the Western end of
Anatolia (now Turkey).
Clovis Maksound, Director for the Organization of Global South, argues that
the term "Middle East" is a Eurocentric term denoting the region between
Europe and East Asia, because it denies the Middle East's connection with
Muslim North Africa.[49] In English parlance, Western Asians like Turks,
Iranians, Cypriots, and Arabs,[50] and the Central Asians of the former
Soviet Republics are not referred to as "Asian" by United States government
agencies.
Russians
Most of Russia's huge territory is in Asia, though the majority of its
population is in Europe and ethnically Slavic. Depending on context, Russian
people may be considered European or mixed according to their individual
ethnic nationality, ancestry, or appearance. The word
Eurasian is also often used to describe Russia's position in the world. See
also transcontinental nation[51]. Russians are generally not included in the
term "Asian".[52]
Pacific Islanders
In normal usage Asian does not refer to the people from the Pacific Islands
who are usually called Pacific Islanders.[53] The term "Asians and Pacific
Islanders" or "Asia/Pacific" was used on the 1990 US Census.[54] As late as
2001, they were consided by most Americans to be the same racial group as
Asians due to a perception of their implicit contrast to "whiteness".[55]
However, in the 2000 US Census, many Pacific Islanders did not consider
themselves the same social identity as Asians, and classified themselves
separately.
Culture
Paul Thomas Welty in his book The Asians Their Evolving Heritage claims that
Asians refer exclusively to people of the "South Asian Subcontinent",
"Southeast Asia" and "East Asia", (Welty, pp. 21).[56] The staple food of
Asians is rice or wheat (Welty, pp.30).[56], but other common foods include
barley, millet, corn, sorghum and sweet potatoes.[56] Asian culture was
predominately influenced by the great civilizations of India and China and
the influence of Islam, (Welty, pp.54).[56] Asians frequently live in the
"big family system" often incorporating three generations under one roof,
(Welty, pp.55).[56] Asians have long valued education and literacy and have
lived in societies led by a scholar class, (Welty, pp. 365). [56]
South Asians share a lot in common, (Welty, pp. 61).[56] South Asians are a
very religious people who share the commonality of having been under British
rule, (Welty, pp. 61).[56] Due to their location between the Middle East,
Europe and other parts of Asia, they have come into contact with various
other cultues, making their culture an amalgam of different cultures,
(Welty, pp. 61).[56]
East Asians share some characteristics in common, (Welty, pp. 153).[56] East
Asians are connected by the commonality of Chinese cultural influence as
well Indian philosophy, (Welty, pp. 158).[56] East Asians are also mostly
farmers except for modernized Japan, (Welty, pp. 158).[56]
Southeast Asians share characteristics in common, (Welty, pp. 323).[56]
Southeast Asians are influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Confucism,
(Welty, pp. 326).[56] Southeast Asians share the family system, poverty, and
respect for teachers and learning, (Welty, pp. 327).[56] Due to their many
islands and coastal territory, Southeast Asians have been influenced by
Indian, Japanese, Chinese and recently US cultural influences, (Welty, pp.
329).[56].
References
1. ^ "Asian". Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.
2. ^ Aspinall, Peter J. Oxford Journals. Journal of Public Health. 2003.
October 26, 2006. [1]
3. ^ Lee, Sandra S. Mountain, Joanna. Barbara, Koening A. The Meanings of
Race in the New Genomics: Implications for Health Disparities Research. Yale
University. 2001. October 26, 2006. [2]
4. ^ a b Barnes, Jessica S. and Bennett, Claudett E. The Asian
Population:2000. 2002. September 1, 2006. [3]
5. ^ a b National Statistics. Ethnicity. 2005. August 27, 2006. [4]
6. ^ a b United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject
Headings. 2004. November 17, 2006.[5]
7. ^ Menon, Sridevi. Duke University. "Where is West Asia in Asian
America?Asia and the Politics of Space in Asian America." 2004. April 26,
2007. http://socialtext.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/24/1_86/55.pdf
8. ^ 44th IFLA 2007 World Congress - Malaysia -Truly Asia
9. ^ The paradox of low body mass index and high body fat percentage among
Chinese, Malays and Indians in Singapore
10. ^ Color Q World. Clarifying the Definition of Asian. 2005. October 1,
2006. [6]
11. ^ The New Oxford Dictionary of English. 2001. New York: Oxford
University Press.
12. ^ Racial classification of Indian Americans
13. ^ a b Lee, Sharon M. Population Reference Bureau. Asian Americans
Diverse and Growing. 2006. September 10, 2006. [7]
14. ^ Brick, Gabrielle. News Voice of America. Asia - Home to Half the World
Population - Is Graying. 2006. September 30, 2006. [8]
15. ^ CIA World Factbook. China. 2006. September 29, 2006. [9]
16. ^ CIA World Factbook. India. 2006. September 29, 2006. [10]
17. ^ Genealogy Blog. 1.16 Billion Han Chinese Make up the World's Largest
Ethnic Group. 2004. September 9, 2006. [11]
18. ^ Arab American Institute. Not Quite White:Race Classification and the
Arab American Experience. 1997. September 29, 2006. [12]
19. ^ PBS United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind 261 U.S. 204 (1923). 2000.
September 1, 2006. [13]
20. ^ Find Law for Legal Professionals. Takao Ozawa v. the United States.
2006. September 1, 2006. TAKAO OZAWA
21. ^ Assissi, Frank. Desparades. Are Desis White? 2006. [14]
22. ^ Skirble, Rosanne. New Voice of America. 2001. September 4, 2006. [15]
23. ^ Arab American Institute. Not Quite White:Race Classification and the
Arab American Experience. 1997. September 29, 2006. [16]
24. ^ Lee, Sharon M. Population Reference Bureau. Asian Americans Diverse
and Growing. 2006. September 10, 2006. [17]
25. ^ Katsiavriades, Kryss. Qureshi, Talaat. English Usage in the UK and
USA. 1997. October 26, 2006. [18]
26. ^ Color Q World. Clarifying the Definition of Asian. 2005. October 1,
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27. ^ British Sociological Association. Equality and Diversity. Language and
the BSA:Ethnicity & Race. 2005. October 26. [20]
28. ^ Gardener, David. Who are the Other Ethnic Groups. 2005. October 27,
2006. [21]
29. ^ Aspinall, Peter J. Oxford Journals. Journal of Public Health. 2003.
October 26, 2006. [22]
30. ^ British Sociological Association. Equality and Diversity. Language and
the BSA:Ethnicity & Race. 2005. October 26. [23]
31. ^ Asian Canadian. 2000. September 29, 2006. [24]
32. ^ South Asian Observor. Asians take Longest Route to Enter Spain
Illegally. 2006. September 29, 2006[25]
33. ^ '2001 Census Visible Minority and Population Group User Guide'
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/Products/Reference/tech_rep/vismin.cfm
34. ^ Aspinall, Peter J. Oxford Journals. Journal of Public Health. 2003.
October 26, 2006. [26]
35. ^ World Atlas.com The Middle East. September 30, 2006. [27]
36. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Standard Classification of
Cultural and Ethnic Groups Second Edition. 2005. August 20, 2006. [28]
37. ^ Color Q World. Clarifying the Definition of Asian. 2005. October 1,
2006. [29]
38. ^ British Sociological Association. Equality and Diversity. Language and
the BSA:Ethnicity & Race. 2005. October 26. [30]
39. ^ Sinha, Gayatri. Diatribe or art? The Hindu. 2002. September 29, 2006.
[31]
40. ^ University of Maryland. Assessment for Asians in South Africa. 2003.
September 29, 2006. [32]
41. ^ Statistics New Zealand. Asian people. 2006. December 4, 2006.[33]
42. ^ http://www.ssb.no/vis/english/subjects/02/02/20/innvutv_en/main.html
43. ^ http://www.ssb.no/vis/samfunnsspeilet/utg/200604/10/art-2006-10-10-01.html
44. ^ Cawley, Kevin. University of Notre Dame. Oriental. 2004. September 29,
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45. ^ Hu, Alan. Model Minority. On Asian and Oriental. 1993. September 29,
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46. ^ Bartleby.com The American HeritageŽ Book of English Usage. 2005.
September 1, 2006. [36]
47. ^ Friedman. Haladina. The Politically Correct Handbook. 1992. September
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48. ^ Think Baby Names. Origin and Meaning of the name Asia. 2006. September
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49. ^ Katz, Elizabeth. Virginia Law. Democracy in the Middle East. 2006.
September 9, 2006. [39]
50. ^ Lee, Sharon M. Population Reference Bureau. Asian Americans Diverse
and Growing. 2006. September 10, 2006. [40]
51. ^ Russia in Global Affairs. Russia as a European Nation and Its Eurasian
Mission. 2005. September 30, 2006 [41]
52. ^ American Heritage Book of English Usage. Asian. 1996. September 29,
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53. ^ American Heritage Book of English Usage. Asian. 1996. September 29,
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54. ^ Census '90. Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. 1990.
September 1, 2006. [44]
55. ^ Lee, Sandra S. Mountain, Joanna. Barbara, Koening A. The Meanings of
Race in the New Genomics: Implications for Health Disparities Research. Yale
University. 2001. October 26, 2006. [45]
56. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Welty, Paul Thomas. The Asians Their
Evolving Heritage Sixth Edition. New York:Harper & Row Publishers, 1984.
ISBN 0-06-047001-1
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