The Asian reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Asian

In the U.K, the term "Asian" refers to someone hailing from the Indian subcontinent.

Since approximately 1990 in the U.S., "Asian" has been considered a more politically correct term for "Oriental", which previously referred to people from China, Japan, and Korea.

In the U.S., the term "Asian" is now used casually to describe someone hailing from China, Japan, Korea, and occasionally Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Tibet, and other nations. It is sometimes also sometimes used more formally to refer to people from the entire Asian continent, including Indians and Southeast Asians.

To avoid the confusion that sometimes occurs, the term "East Asian" is sometimes used to distinguish people from China, Japan, and Korea from other peoples such as Indians who are also technically considered Asian. It should be noted that "East Asian" is a relatively formal term and is used only when it is necessary to make a distinction between them and other Asian peoples. The term "South Asian" is used very formally and politely to refer to people from India. The term "West Asian" is used in very rare occasions to refer to people from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern nations. The term "West Asian" is often considered overly formal and may be considered by some to be overly politically correct. Although Russians hail from the Asian continent, most are genetically closer to Europeans and therefore not referred to as "Asian".

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