And besides, as an Indian, I find more in common with a Korean or Chinese person because alot of our traditions and old values are similar, i.e. marriage, education, home life, parental strictness, etc

I agree completely and consider this across the board for all of asia.

we have alot of similarities – and that’s something that ignorance works to destroy. A united asian front would be the start of a new age away from eurocentricism and alot of ppl who maintain this structure wouldn’t want that to happen.

Of course some ppl (everywhere) are racist assholes, but like someone said above, if ppl haven’t each reached the basic comprehension of 2nd geography – but how can you forget ignorance?

if you forget it, then that’s only going to lead to the spread of more ignorant assumptions. & its the frustration of those “others” mistaken classified – that leads to a shortness of temper and an inability to correct politely – because if you’re proud of who you are, you want others (esp your friends, classmates, co-workers, etc) to get it right.

lol. Look at some of the older threads on Sepiamutiny, most Indians don’t like being lumped in with other South Asians, and Pakistanis think they are a part of Central Asia, and Bangladeshi Khans think they are Pashtuns. Hindus, Sikh and Christian desis really hate being mistaken for Arab, Central Asian or Muslim, particularly when boarding airplanes. Telegus hate being lumped in with Tamils. Punjabi Khatris hate being lumped in with other Punjabis.

i agree with your general point, but anyone arguing this point is really r*tarded

I fully understand that there are differences between the largely defined groups of East Asians and South Asians – but what group defined by an outside authority DOES make sense? Arguably, there are just as many differences among East Asians as there are between these two large groups. The point is, there are huge similarities (immigration patterns, family situations, cultural values), enough so that it would be to South Asian Americans’ benefit to ally themselves with other Asian Americans.

I know that many people in the South Asian community are reluctant to see a connection to other Asian Americans (especially among the earlier/older generations), but I see that as a non-progressive way of looking at things. We are a very very small minority in this country, and it’s the sheer truth that there is strength in numbers.

(Question: In the UK, Asian means Desi, and Chinese aren’t Asian. In the US, its the opposite. What about Australia, Canada, NZ? France?)

Afghanistan joined SAARC a few years ago, and want to be part of the SAARC free trade zone. Apparently, Indian-educated Karzai thinks he’s South Asian. And the masses of Afghan refugees in Karachi (some living in the gutters!) seem to function just fine in a South Asian environment.

I just checked out the Common Application, which most American high school seniors use to apply to college (which I realize affects how people want to present themselves), and the choices are as follows: (1)African American, African, Black; (2)Native American, Alaskan Native; (3)Asian American (list countries); (4)Asian including Indian Subcontinent (list countries); (5)Hispanic, Latino (list countries); (6)Mexican American, Chicano; (7)Puerto Rican; (8)White or Caucasian; (9)Other.

It’s pretty interesting that African American and African are in the same category, but Asian American and Asian are not. Also, there is no way to figure out how this is defined. If I were an ethnic-Indian whose grandparents lived in Kenya and whose parents were born and raised in Kenya, and I was born and raised in America, what does that make me? Asian American? African American?

Don’t worry, I’ll blog about my research when it’s done next month- you’ll see…

Please do! Clearly, I would be quite interested.