south Asian

A term used to denote people of South Asian ethnic origin. Such people usually have similar facial structure to Caucasians, and can have skin tone anywhere between the paleness of Caucasian people to the darkness of black people. Regions in which the majority of the population are ethnically South Asian include India, eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Guyana, Suriname, the United Arab Emirates and Trinidad. In the UK, South Asians are often referred to simply as "Asians". Canadians of South Asian origin are often referred to as "Indo-Canadians". Historically, South Asians were referred to as "East Indians", but this is rarely used nowadays. Another common term used in North America to refer to South Asians is "Desi". The most common racial slur applied to South Asians in the UK is "Paki", although this slur is not restricted to South Asians, and can also be used to refer to people of Middle Eastern descent.