How do you define "Asian Americans"?

Question

Most of us would say "Asians" who live in America. When we say Asians, we basically accept the idea that people who are from continent of Asia. Also, "Asian people" in category of "Asians" have black hair, black eyes, yellow skin, small eyes. Basically, those people are chinese, japanese, korean, filipino, vietnamese, and other yellow skin asians. However, if we call people, who are from continent of Asia and who those came to settle down in America, are Asian American, how about people with blue eyes, pale skin, blonde hair from continent of Asia, for example, Russia? Why don't we call those people as Asians even though they are from continet of Asia? So my question are what "Asian Americans" are and how do you categorize them? You can answer from individual view or social view or both.

Indian people from Asia are categorized as Asian Indian since America already have the category of American Indian.

For those of you who say that Russia is not part of Asia and located only north part of the continent of Europe, Why Russia is called "Eurasia"?
Russia is located in the part of Europe and part of the Asia which is larger part and in the whole north continent of Asia.
Please look at the world atlas first before you came to argue that Russia is not part of Asia. When we talk about the continent of Asia, Russia has bigger portion of Asia than most other asia countries.

Answer 1

I agree that Asian should refer to all from that continent, however the term Asian seems to be exclusively for Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese. The phrase Oriental and Occidental clearly has become dated, so it has been replaced with Asian. I have never heard some one from India refered to as an Asian, yet technically they are.

Answer 2

Well, generally it is used to described Asians who were born in the U.S., or U.S. citizens who are ethnically Asian. But to say that Asians are categorized as people with black hair, black eyes, yellow skin, and small eyes is incorrect. Asians have a wide range of skin color, from very fair (think northern China or Japan) to dark brown. The vast majority have dark brown (not black) eyes. Eyes are of different shapes as well. Yet not all Asians are from the continent of Asia (what about all those islands), nor is everyone from the Asian continent considered being of the Asian race, in the popular use of the word.

And what is even more confusing - people from India, while considered Caucasian, are often called Asian, although this usage is not common in the U.S., it is common in other countries.

Answer 3

Russia is not in Asia it is in the upper continent of Europe.

What we consider Asian American is a person who is born here in the US with and asian heritage, or a person who have an Asian and American parent.

Answer 4

i think americans are very shallow minded...if thats how they do categorize people. now you mention it, i've never really heard a russian person referred to as an asian, they simply say "russian"...do they think being called asian makes them somewhat "inferior"...for example, i am part amerindian, from south america. and if i ask an american what that is, they wont know. so should i just say, south american? lol. i dont think that would be proper, since there are so many different vaireties of etnicties in S.A. so i guess, calling a japanese, vietnamese, and chinese, and classify-ing them as asians, won't be proper either..since their pretty different.

Answer 5

I do NOT have yellow skin thank you very much! I'm very tan! It should be the caucasians/ "white" people that should be called yellow! Their skin is quite yellow all the time! I HATE stereotypes and I certainly do NOT have small eyes! I have normal almond shaped ones and I DO have eyelids! That's only the koreans you are referring to dumb asss!

Answer 6

Its a pain to be honest

I simplty call asian americans of chinese/japanese/philipino/korean/viet etc decent orientals, unless I know the country from which their ancestors came. The vast majority of orientals I know are chinese canadians.

For Indians, Pakistani's etc. I typically use the term south east asian in absence of a better term.

Answer 7

How do you white americans or black americans? My friend everyone beside the american Idian are descendents of another place. This country is what it is and anyone who makes their home here are americans. Remember American is not a race, but a title.

Answer 8

I can't answer your question, but can you answer mine - is there such a thing as an American American? I've often wondered that.

I'm English, by the way.

Answer 9

I lived in Thailand and I love the people and they were very kind to me and my daughter and they are bright, funny and very interesting and very attractive. and they beleive in Budda and I gave """ flowers with my thai friends,. and gave the monks salom cig and tide soap.And went to a Command Performance{Queen and King of Thailand}

Answer 10

people of oriental descent that were born in the u.s.a.