# British form of the word "Asian" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424 "2004-10-21T16:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/1 "2004-10-21T16:14:30Z")
Here, in America, we use the word Asian when talking about such nationalities as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and so on. I’ve read in a couple of different threads that in Britain, the word Asian is used mostly to describe Indians and Pakistanis. So, my question is simple. Is there a British word that’s equivalent to how Americans use the word Asian? ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/2 "2004-10-21T16:42:54Z")
_Oriental_ does not seem to have the same negative connotations as it does in the US, so you may find that word used, or operhaps _Far Eastern_. Otherwise we tend to use _Chinese, Japanese_ etc. as appropriate. _Asian_ is still used sometimes when the context means it is not confused with Indian etc. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/3 "2004-10-21T16:49:20Z")
I’d certainly steer well clear of ‘Oriental’. It’s true that it’s less likely to be objected to than in the US, but it could still cause problems. ‘Far east Asian’ is probably what I’d go for, if I wasn’t able to be more specific - for one thing, it nicely parallels the common ‘south-east Asian’. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/4 "2004-10-22T03:45:29Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I’d certainly steer well clear of ‘Oriental’. It’s true that it’s less likely to be objected to than in the US, but it could still cause problems. I ran into this problem a few years back on a Usenet newsgroups when I used the word “Orientals”, and someone from that part of the world objective. Another American jumped in and defended me, pointing out as the word is commonly used it just means “those people who would commonly eat with chopsticks.” And, he pointed out that no American who intended a racial slur would ever use the word “Orientals.” If that was the intent, the word that would have been used is “gooks”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/5 "2004-10-22T06:31:05Z")
> [@Master Control](#): > > So, my question is simple. Is there a British word that’s equivalent to how Americans use the word Asian? Here it would be “East Asians”, to distinguish from SE Asians (eg Vietnamese), South Asians (eg Indians), central Asians (eg Afghans) and SW Asians (eg Iraqis). NE Asia usually includes Japan and South Korea only, although technically I suppose Manchuria and even Siberia should count. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/6 "2004-10-22T07:07:49Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > Here it would be “East Asians”, to distinguish from SE Asians (eg Vietnamese), South Asians (eg Indians), central Asians (eg Afghans) and SW Asians (eg Iraqis). NE Asia usually includes Japan and South Korea only, although technically I suppose Manchuria and even Siberia should count. That’s very sensible. However, it also reminds me that the whole Eurasian landmass is too damn big. That was some real bad planning by whoever was in charge of the Pangaea Committee. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-form-of-the-word-asian/270424/7 "2004-10-23T03:06:01Z")
Thanks to everybody for their answers.