What does being "Asian" mean to you?

[KostasKouvalis]

I watched a YouTube video recently where a Danish guy asked a bunch of Filipinxes, their favorite "Asian" country. Apparently, anything west of Myanmar isn't considered "Asia" to these people. Only one girl said Indian girls are the most beautiful in the world after Filipinas. However, there were also people in the comments making the argument that even Indonesia isn't an "Asian" country.

I guess technically the question WAS, "What's your favorite Asian country", not "What's your favorite country IN ASIA?" But then what the fuck is an "Asian country"? What does that even mean?

You can make the same argument for Africa.

Updates

8 mo

I sometimes refer to East/SE Asians as "Orientals" to differentiate them from other Asians. Why should only East/SE Asians hold that label when Asia is incredibly MASSIVE and DIVERSE.

It seems that many west of Myanmar people don't like to use that label either in other to deferentiate themselves from the Orientals who have hijacked it. I saw one map even didn't consider Xinjiang as "Asian"

[Alexandrubaschet08]

Asian, is the name given to the people who belong to the continent of Asia.
The continent of Asia is delimited in the following geographical boundaries:
- Ural Mountains
- Caucasus Mountains
- The city of Istanbul
- The Suez Canal next to the Red Sea
- Bab al-Mandab Strait
- Indian Ocean
- The Wallace, Weber, and Lydekker Lines
- Pacific Ocean
- Bering Strait
- The Arctic Ocean
All things and living things that come from within these geographical borders are called Asian (objects, animals, people, plants).

Also, Asia is the largest continent on the planet Earth that contains an extremely diverse flora and fauna and that includes all forms of relief. This continent has the largest population of people on earth with varied languages, cultures, ethnicities, religions and physical characteristics of the inhabitants. Due to its immensity, the continent has among its people different social, cultural, religious and political forms of social existence.

[noohair]

Aisa is a scientific geographic location on the world map. I can tell you from experience that each country is different and unique in some ways. I was married to a woman from the Philippines and that is a separate story. Asians are very good at seeing people from different Asian countries by facial appearance. I don't have a favorate country in Asia. All I can say is that from the US, the plane ride is brutal and if you have to swwitch filghts, it is worse.

[KostasKouvalis]

That's so funny you mentioned that, because the longest flight I ever took was from CA to South Korea, at almost 13 hours, and for some reason it didn't feel that long.
That being said, if I'm gonna travel THAT distance, I'm spending at least 2 weeks

[noohair]

Florida to the Philippines. with several stops. omg.

[KostasKouvalis]

Oh. Well that's YOUR problem if you flew from Florida 😂

[noohair]

Yes, I live in Florida and it is by choice.

[KostasKouvalis]

I didn't even know Florida had direct flights to Asian countries

[Siri137]

Asia extends from the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska in the east, all the way to Constantinople in the occupied (by the Turks) territory of the Byzantine Empire, so if you're Indian, Arab, Israeli or anything within, you're Asian.

[KostasKouvalis]

I think so too

[OlderAndWiser]

I would not include the Arabian Peninsula and middle eastern countries in Asia.

[KostasKouvalis]

Even geographically? Why not?

[OlderAndWiser]

I realize there is a great diversity among Asian cultures and ethnicities, but the middle east/arabic cultures and just too far removed from Eastern Asian culture and ethnicity.

[KostasKouvalis]

I'll be honest with you, as a geographer, I think the way geographers define a "continent" is really stupid and inconsistent. Because the actual physical boundaries of the continents are different then what the cartography community agreed on. And if Australia is considered its own continent, I think the Middle East should be too.

But for the purpose of surveys which only count the 7 continents, I definitely count the Middle East as Asia, but that's really the only time.
Though if someone asked me what countries in Asia I've been too, I would still say Taiwan and Turkey.

[LostandFound__x]

Funny enough I’m from the Middle East and I would identify as Asian because I am from the Asian continent lol. But specifically I am Middle Eastern.

[KostasKouvalis]

@LostandFound__x Exactly 😂

[Siri137]

"And if Australia is considered its own continent, I think the Middle East should be too." - Kostas
What? Are you serious? Australia has clear geographical boundaries (i. e. it's surrounded by oceans), but the 'Middle East' isn't even a natural subdivision, being contiguous with Africa, Europe and the rest of Asia. The boundaries of the 'Middle East' are purely arbitrary, and not based upon anything real.

[LostandFound__x]

@Siri137 yeah but tbh in the ME we have our own set of traditions, culture and values that sets us apart from the rest of Asia. That’s why I’d always say I’m ME but I wouldn’t deny being Asian either. But I’d defo go with ME.

[KostasKouvalis]

@Siri137 The Arabian Peninsula has its own tectonic plate. And technically
Europe and Asia are one continent yet they aren't considered as such. And if Australia is its own continent, then what the heck is Oceania? Some say it's not a continent others say it is, but then that would make EIGHT continents. Then there are those who use the term Australia and Oceania. But then what does that make Australia then? A sub-continent? A continent within a continent? The point I was trying to make is that there is no consistent criteria when it comes to defining what a "continent is"

As far as I'M concerned there are 7 continents.
N. America, S. America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Antarctica

[Berethor]

Asians without Asian Eyes don't count, I only count Population with Asian Eyes as Asian.

[KostasKouvalis]

So as a Jew, you don't consider yourself "Asian" even though you technically live in Asia?

What about Central Asians? They have slanted eyes, but are genetically different from Orientals. What about Indonesians, East Timor people and West Papuans? Most people consider Indonesia "Asian", but racially they are different.

[Berethor]

Yea I don't consider myself Asian, I don't look Asian, as I said it about an Asian Eyes.

[KostasKouvalis]

What about WEST Asian?

[Berethor]

West Asia is not Real Asia, and what you are is by Race, not by Where you Living.

[KostasKouvalis]

Okay, fair enough.

[WhiteBoyChill]

@Berethor I thought you said earlier that Jewish people are native to the Levant stretching thousands of years back.

If that doesn’t make them ethnically Asian, then what continent is it that the Levant really belongs to?

[KostasKouvalis]

@WhiteBoyChill He already said that he doesn't consider West Asia as REAL Asia, but that's a good point. What continent does he consider it to be on then? Because there's only one right answer.

[KostasKouvalis]

And see, this is exactly why I think it's dumb that "Asian" has been proclaimed a race/ethnicity. Orientals and Oriental lovers think Asia only revolves around THEM

[WhiteBoyChill]

Exactly. Asia is too vast a continent for there to only be considered one Asian ethnic group of people. LOL

[WhiteBoyChill]

But yeah, if you ever seen the people in the Caucuses or Central Asia many of them look pretty pale compared to other Asians lol.

I don’t think they could ever possibly be considered the same ethnic group

[KostasKouvalis]

@WhiteBoyChill Central Asians are Turkic, but still more "Asian" then Caucasian people, but Caucasians aren't considered Whites either, especially Armenians. I think they're also Semetic people, even though it was long thought that the European race originated from there

[Berethor]

@KostasKouvalis the Turks are clearly Mixed, didn't they used to look like Mongols?

[WhiteBoyChill]

Lol man. Its just funny because at least in the case of Europe, its less so skin tone that varies, but more so other things like facial features that can be used to tell ethnicities apart

[KostasKouvalis]

I didn't say Turks, I said Turkic Central Asians. I've been to Turkey, and I didn't need some anthropolist to publish a study to know that Turks, at least the ones on the coast are White and the same race as Mediterranean people. The ones further inland are more Turkic, but still look nothing like Central Asians, so you're right that they're mixed.

[ericclayton]

Geographically, Asia is what you see in green. Most people refer to Asians as East, Southeast, and sometimes South. Even Asia-Europe separation is arbitrary, as its based on cultural and historical differences, rather than geography — it's the same landmass.

[Anonymous]

😆😆😆

https://www.youtube.com/embed/d_CaZ4EAexQ

[KostasKouvalis]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I remember this one, but I forgot about the "So are you Chinese or Japanese" part? The sad part is, this is actually pretty accurate.

https://youtu.be/vWl2YKYJhm4?si=fsK5d97jtqG0ud8y

[Opinion Owner]

It's funny I posted a question once about the way we view other races based on a Dave Chapelle bit where a white girl sings his thoughts. And Dave said all white people look alike to him. Which is funny to me because a lot of non white races kind of look alike to me unless I know them. Anyways I caught a lot of flack for it and was called racist. And I think this actually quite normal I think we are biologically designed to recognize our "tribes" so to speak. I even said I would surmise that if you were white and born in a more racially diverse area like new york this would affect this and would be less prevalent. I was born in a state that is 85% white so I feel that's why that is the case with me.

[KostasKouvalis]

It took me several years to finally be able to start telling black actors appart. Even Hillary Clinton said they all look alike😂

[Opinion Owner]

See you agree. I think because we try to be so inclusive sometimes (and that good). But we ignore what is obvious just because we FEAR it might hint we're racist.

[FunkyMonkee]

I don't know, I've never been Asian and seriously doubt I ever can be. It's just not in my genes.

[KostasKouvalis]

Uh... that's not how it works

[FunkyMonkee]

Oh!! That's right! These days, I can just identify as Asian!

[KostasKouvalis]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[WhiteBoyChill]

But isn’t the geographical region of Asia clearly defined?

Anyone who has majority ethnic origins to the continent is in fact Asian.

[KostasKouvalis]

For the most part, only Georgia, Armenia and Cyprus are debatable, and there are also people who argue that some of the Greek islands are geographically in Asia.

So you consider Arabs, Jews, Persians even Russians, all Asians?

[WhiteBoyChill]

I do.

[KostasKouvalis]

Thank you. Me too