Indians are Asians.
They just don't look Oriental, that's all!

 

Well, I am 100% Korean. What do you think I look like??

Blonde with blue eyes? Obviously not. I look like all other Asians, but not Indians. Get my drift

 

So to be asian you have to be light skinned and have small eyes? I don't think so.

 

Okay, there seems to be a confusion between geographical region vs ethnic identity.

Asia is just the continent. It is the umbrella in which various ethnicities can be categorized under simply because they reside in that particular region of the world. Typically, when people refer to Asians, people retaining characteristics of black hair, yellow-tinged skin and narrow eyes are often the image conjured up. While this is technically describing people of the Orient, it is nonetheless the accepted identification assigned to the term "Asian." Judging from the responses in this thread, it is clear that this is a dogmatic over-generalization of the word and that further clarification is merited.

Now let's look at the other side of the coin and present a different, yet similar issue. What do you think of when I say, "What is an American?" Well, most people would identify an American as someone who resides in the United States. Or is it?

Did you forget to realize that America is a continent and that there are TWO Americas--North and South?! So with this definition, technically, an American is one who resides anywhere in the region that Christopher Columbus calls "The New World." In a sense, a Canadian native who lives in Canada is also an American. A Mexican native who lives in Mexico is also an American. As are the folks who live in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, etc. Can you imagine the confusion this causes?

In a sense, for simplicity's sake, an American is therefore an identification assigned to one who lives a resides in the United States of America. Consequently, also for simplicity's sake, an Asian is an identification assigned to that of Orientals.

Back to the question:

1. Are Indians (from India) considered Asian? Yes.
2. Are they labeled as "Asian?" No.

Am I making sense?

 

I'm light skinned, small eyed but 100% Ham Sup

 

They are Asians. That's what my Indian friends tell me at least.

 

What is a Ham Sup?

 

94NSX that was well said.

 

I think you're missing the point. You can't say that you "look" like all other Asians, because not all other Asians look Korean. For example, I bet you don't look like a dark-skinned Malay, although he/she is an Asian.

I get your point about the blonde/blue eyed comparison (although there are ethnic Indians who have blue eyes!), but your point of "Indians aren't Asian because they don't look like all other Asians" isn't true.

Just to reiterate, my point is that just because ethnic Indians don't look like typical Japanese or Koreans doesn't mean that they aren't Asians.

 

Plus, i think that blonde hair and blue eyes is more polish anyway.