For those of you who live in America, what springs to mind when you think of the Asian part of the world?
79030
I think of many things. Sure Chinese food, ancient ruins, also I think of Thailand (a good fiend of mine is from Thailand).\n\nI think of efficiancy.  I think, as a whole, Asians are a bit more efficient in a lot of things.  There are, of course, the cars we drive, "cheap" labor for our US companies (aren't a lot of our jobs moving to China?).\n\nPaper and fireworks - both originating from China.  The terra cotta warriors, art, bonsai trees, chrysanthemums, sushi.\n\nI think of a lot of things, more than I could mention here.
87142
Oooh... it's nice to know that some people actually want to be Asian. I always thought that Asian people would be treated unequally by some people because of their skin color (heck, I've run into some racists when I was on a trip to Australia) but it sure makes my day when somebody says that they would want to be an Asian. \n\nSuddenly, I'm so glad that I'm an Asian... I always thought that being caucasian was to be a fairer but I never thought that being an Asian is to be sexy...\n\nYou just made my day! Thanks! =p
1098363
For starters, and this is an incomplete answer, but the Eurocentric perspective does not see Europe as a western peninsula of Asia, but actually as its own continent.  Europe is it's own continent according to the Eurocentric perspective.  \n\nBasing its world-view on Platonic essentialism, there is something "European" about Europe and its peoples, animals, climate, etc, so that there must be something "Asian" about Asia's people, animals, climate, etc.\n\nActually, it's all pretty much the same.  Europeans are really Asians, but at around 1450, they were the most backwards region of the planet--they were the furthest from the great Asian empires of the time.  So they had to rally around their religion, Christianity, and become "superior" by virtue of their belief in Christ.\n\nLater, they believed themselves superior because of their race, intellect, rationality, peaceful nature--all the stuff that makes them see themselves as the pinnacle of humanity.\n\nAsians see Europeans as pink, hairy barbarians.  OK, maybe I'm overgeneralizing a bit, but Asians see themselves as a more ancient people, and not really "asians" at all.  There are Chinese, Koreans, Thai, Indians, Sikh, Japanese, Khmer, Pilipino (no "h"), Samoan, etc., each with a vast (if untold) history.  Each radically different from each other as German is to French, but still having religious and cultural roots.\n\nSo, where did the term come from?  From Europeans, of course.\nIn the Platonic world view, rocks are rocks because of their "rockness."  In the Socratic worldview, rocks are rocks because of their relationship to papers and scissors, for example, because of their connections to other things.\n\nNot all rocks are the same or course.  Diamonds are much more expensive compared to ordinary pebbles, but not because of their "diamondness," (the Platonic/essentialist view) but rather because it's related to market demand, war in the Congo, sellers and resellers each trying to make a buck, TV commercials, weddings and so on (the Socratic-Hegelian/dialectical worldview).\n\nSo it goes that Asians are Asians, but this really doesn't make us understand Asians, but makes an easy definition to "Europeans" and around 1450 and the coming rise of Europe, the Europeans needed to figure things out the quick and easy way.  They were going from bottom of the barrel in civilization, to masters of the universe, for good and bad.\n\nSo if you see the world from an essentialist perspective, then Europe (or Asia) is the center of the world, and everything else revolves around it.  If you see the world from the dialectical perspective, then you see the world as related to each other.  Europe would not be Europe without Asia, and vice-versa.  Each needs the other, the way diamonds need middlemen to become valuable.\n\nWhen it comes to economic integration, IJapan, India and China, to a certain degree are fostering cooperation over competition, because of the need to compete with Europe over markets and create new markets.  In other words, if India and China do good with each other, Chinese people will buy Indian products rather than European products.  This fosters an Asia-first perspective.\n\nTo read more--a tough but good read, read "The Myth of Continents" by Martin W. Lewis and Karen Wigen.
937190
All 3 of your suggestions are somewhat awkward, I'd just say: (i.e. Far East Asia)
388875
Well to be fair, I'm Asian and I tried fitting in the predominately "white" community of my hometown....but I just wasn't taken seriously as a friend. It's hard to fit in w/ people outside your race b/c there are all these barriers and such.  I mean it's easy for you to say we seclude ourselves, but we don't have a role amongst a group of "whites" except as a token, a mascot if you will. But I think after a few more generations, Asians will be considered Americans instead foreigners.
194306
Not in America... Elsewhere could be/
217275
I understand your question as I've noticed the same phenomenon....it appears that true asians living in American tend to close the ranks and turn inward...in other words, they still clink to the tradition of marrying their own kind. I believe with time the younger generations will succumb to the culture and pressures of american society and will begin to more often inter-relate. I haven't seen a lot of evidence of it yet however...
915683
Asian culture fascinates me personally....
785803
Geographically speaking, yes, but the term "Asian" is predominantly used for people who are from the Pacific Rim, China, Japan, Korea, etc.  You are Asian just like a white person whose parents are from South Africa is an African-American.  See what I'm saying?
266752
First of all, I am white and answering this question.  My grilfriend, who is Cambodian, thinks she can do math well and kick like Bruce Lee (Sorry, babe, Bruce was Cantonese). Asians are portrayed as smart because of the way in which they are white-washed.  Asians typicall come from nothing because most of Asia is oppressed (no offense).  There are exceptions to everything, but I have seen is first hand.  Asians work hard and have stronger cultural values than any other race.  This is such a big part of academics- plus the portrayl of asians as geeks in movies.  You have the NAM and WWII footage of buck-toothed midgets running around bowing to everyone.  It's all crap American propoganda, geeze remember the New Jersey Plan?  I feel that this stereotype is just that, jst like the one that all whites are rich and fat and blacks are fat and poor ghetto bangers.  America is a melting pot, and I don't know what will happen.
734939
Hey what exactly do you have in mind?\n\nSome general ideas here:\n\nhttp://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/sasia/ssc/ssdiv/ssdivfr.htm\n\nAlso, UNESCO published this document on the topic: www.unu.edu/hq/japanese/ gs-j/gs2004j/shonan20/kaldun.pdf \n\nIn the meantime, you can also get some ideas from this text\n\nIts principal language groups include Sino-Tibetan, Indo-Aryan, Austronesian, Austroasiatic, and Semitic; important singular languages include Japanese and Korean. East Asia contains three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The Indian subcontinent is home to a vast diversity of peoples, most of whom speak languages from the Indo-Aryan subgroup of the Indo-European family. Because of the influence of China and the former Soviet Union, the Mandarin Chinese dialect and the Russian language are used widely. Asia is the birthplace of all the world's major religions and hundreds of minor ones. Hinduism is the oldest major religion to have originated in southern Asia; Jainism and Buddhism emerged in the 6th and 5th centuries BC, respectively. Southwest Asia was the cradle of the so-called Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Daoism and Confucianism, both of which originated in the 6th or 5th century BC, have profoundly influenced Chinese culture and the cultures of surrounding peoples. Asia is marked by great disparities in wealth. A few countries, notably Japan, Singapore, and the oil-rich countries of the Arabian Peninsula, have attained high standards of living; others, such as Bangladesh and Myanmar, are among the poorest. Between these two extremes lie Russia, China, and India. Asia is a land of great cultural diversity, but there are five main cultural influences: Chinese, Indian, Islamic, European, and Central Asian. China has had great influence in East Asia as the source of Confucianism, artistic styles, and the Chinese writing system. Indian influence has been expressed through Hinduism and Buddhism, affecting the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Central Asia. Islam spread from its original Arabian home to become important in the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and elsewhere.
443125
the Middle East, which is part of the Asian continent
522729
the world view of anything American
574613
one of those asian countries either china or japan
176160
I am, but I'm half-Korean. <3 But actually, I have quite a few "white American" friends who completely agree. It's for the same reason white males like asian girls - sexy and exotic.
465658
would you like to have an Asian friend?
925691
You see, Americans are so stupid that thy cant discern between Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Phillipinos, etc.  In the constant quest to be politiacally correct people decided to call them all ASIAN.  Indian people are from Asia,  Americans don't refer to them as Asian.  To be labeled as ASIAN by americans, it does not matter where you are from geographically, Asia or not.  You simply have to have "slanty eyes".\n\nIt's like being African American.  People assume that if you are black, hey, you are from Africa.  \n\nIt's all about america trying to be P.C. and in turn being more racist and stereotypical.  Pathetic.