This very non-PC question popped into my head last week, and it won’t go away.
Down’s Syndrome was originally known as Mongolism, because people with it looked “Oriental.” So can you tell a similarly afflicted Asian person without a chromosome test?
A Google image search for “Asian Down syndrome” will quickly answer your question, as well as exposing you to the usual racism expected on the internet these days.
Yes, of course. “Mongoloid Idiots” were classified by Down as such because they had epicanthic folds and relatively flat faces. But there are many other physical traits associated with the syndrome, such as a protruding tongue, short neck, etc.
Down also recognized other “racial” types of retardation, such as “Ethiopian Idiots” who supposedly showed African characteristics.
There are a lot of Caucasian Asians, the Caucases mountains are mostly in Asia. So is most of Turkey, all of Israel, most of the mid east, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan etc etc.:rolleyes:
To Orientals, they probably look like Europeans. 
More seriously, while they look to me like they have some Oriental characteristics, they don’t look quite like Oriental even to me. To Orientals, who have far more refined abilities to recognize Oriental features (e.g., to tell Chines from Japanese at a glance, which I can’t do), I’m sure they look unmistakably like people with Down’s Syndrome.
Operating on the assumption that you are posting this question in good faith…
No one in their right mind would believe a Down Syndrome patient genuinely resembles an Asian. This is a piece of Victorian-era racism which does not deserve to be repeated in the modern age.
Based on years of reading her posting history, she really did ask that question in good faith. Make of that what you will.
As others have said, a two second Google search could answer this. In short, non-Asian people with Downs don’t really look Asian. Asian people with Downs look different from Asian people without Downs just like people with other heritages. While we’re at it, there is a wide variety of looks throughout the vast hugeness of Asia.
You’re missing the point. She’s a Yank, she means Oriental.
I’m Japanese-American and hail from a high-Asian-population US state. I used to work at a daycare center that had a 3-year-old Chinese Down Syndrome kid. You could definitely tell he had Down Syndrome.
Down’s Syndrome has physical characteristics on the body, for instance people with it only have one large crease (simian crease) on their palm as opposed to 2.
It should probably be noted that most people who are very slow mentally don’t have Downs Syndrome and you wouldn’t be able to tell by just just looking at them. It only becomes apparent after interacting with them.
Two? I have three! What does it all mean? (I think you mean one transverse crease and two total as opposed to two transverse creases and three total on most people).
And people with Mosaic Downs Syndrome have the Downs appearance, but they are smarter than retarded, some of them have graduated university.
Can anyone post a link to pictures? I don’t want to be flagged by the network admins as a bigot. 
The “look” I associate with Down Syndrome doesn’t match with any race or body type I know of. I see that unique softness of features and instantly think Downs.
I lived in China for decades, and you can most certainly tell someone Chinese that has Downs. Well, let me rephrase that, the Chinese with Down’s that were obvious to me had the obvious physical characteristics. The one that stands out to me is minimal/lack of earlobes.
Here’s one from a random Search photo of an Asian with Down’s with what, I as a complete laymen, would call as having Down’s physical characteristics. http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/files/2008/11/down.jpg
I thought the term “Oriental” to refer to people was frowned on, nowadays.
EDIT:
I’ve known people who are cognitively, and presumably chromosomally, normal, and who have a similar lack of earlobes (without the rest of the physical characteristics of Down’s).
I have seen Thais with Down syndrome and can confirm they look very different from normal Thais.
Asians with Down’s look very different from Asians who don’t have Down’s, but to me the difference between them isn’t as great as the difference between whites with and without Down’s
…if that makes sense.
Thanks for the link
I think the PC term nowadays is “Fun-Sized”
“Oriental” is still used in Britain. “Asian” in Britain and South Africa would mean South Asian rather than Far Eastern.
I have a little kid cousin with Down’s. He looks like a little kid–with Down’s. I guess his eye socket depth might be more like a typical Far Eastern person’s or something. Mostly he’s small…