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July 21, 2005

Suspect Has "Asian Appearance"

Sky News earlier reported that a memo had been sent to hospital staff, at the request of the Metropolitan police, asking them to be on the lookout for a black or possibly Asian man, 6ft 2in tall, wearing a blue top with wires protruding from a hole in the rear.

Brak wondered if "Asian" could mean Muslim. In Britain, it does, or rather it tends to mean Pakistani. Well, it could mean Pakistani or what we in America think of Asian (geishas, moo goo gai pan, Drunken Master martial arts), but given he's either "black or Asian," that sounds like a darker-skinned Pakistani to me.

I know of few black Chinese.

Anyway, back in 2000, shortly before 9-11, there were riots between white hooligans and "Asians," by which the British press meant Pakistanis.

Two men of "Asian appearance" have been arrrested as well, although their complicity in the attacks has not been established. It could very well be that they are completely innocent and arrested on grounds of... well, sorry to say this, but on grounds of simple prudence. It's easier to let an innocent man go after detaining him and questioning him than to track down a guilty man you never arrested in the first place.

But, based on the description of the one 6 ft 2 inch "Asian or black" man being pursued at the moment, I would say the "white supremacists doing copycat crimes to stir racial unrest" speculation is looking a bit, um, premature.

Update/Correction: Not sure if this is right, but he says it in an authoritative manner.

David says that in Britain, "Asian" refers exclusively to Subcontinentals -- Pakistanis, Indians, etc. He says the term isn't used (for reasons I don't know) for Far-East/Pacific Rim Asians.

'Asian' in the UK sense means exclusively somebody from the Indian subcontinent, i.e. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan. You'd never call a Chinese or a Japanese 'Asian'. I'm not even sure that most Afghans, being relatively light-skinned Caucasians, would be so described.

What term is used for the folks we think of "Asians"? I dunno. Can't imagine they still say "Oriental," which, I'm reliably informed, refers to a rug, not a person.

Maybe they call them what my pappy calls 'em -- "Crafty yella sneaky kick-fighters with magical powers, like elves."

posted by Ace at 02:15 PM

Comments

Here's what I had to say at Daily Pundit:

'Asian' in the UK sense means exclusively somebody from the Indian subcontinent, i.e. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan. You'd never call a Chinese or a Japanese 'Asian'. I'm not even sure that most Afghans, being relatively light-skinned Caucasians, would be so described.

Posted by: David Gillies on July 21, 2005 02:18 PM

What term is used for the folks we think of "Asians"?

"Yellow Peril" comes to mind as a suitable group descriptor. But that'd just be wrong. Way wrong.

Posted by: Russ on July 21, 2005 02:31 PM

Us Brits call Chinese people, "Chinese people" and so on. Trust me on this one. I used to live about six miles from the first group of terrorists.

Posted by: David Gillies on July 21, 2005 02:33 PM

A 6' 2" asian? Must be from a different continent.

Posted by: Larry Hardy on July 21, 2005 02:35 PM

So Brits refer to Asians specifically, like Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, etc.? There's no general term?

Reminds me of KOTH:

So are you Chinese or Japanese?

I'm Laotian! It's a small land-locked country is SE Asia!

.....So are you Chinese or Japanese?

Posted by: brak on July 21, 2005 02:40 PM

Laotian!

The ocean? What ocean?

Posted by: IreneFingIrene on July 21, 2005 02:43 PM

Ace,

Yup.

"Asians" in the UK means "from the Indian Subcontinent".

Here:

"...magical powers, like elves."

LOL.

Posted by: MeTooThen on July 21, 2005 02:48 PM

When I was in Taiwan I noticed they also refer to the Indian Subcontinent as "Asia"

Posted by: Dave in Texas on July 21, 2005 03:27 PM

So Brits refer to Asians specifically, like Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, etc.? There's no general term?

Well, I believe they still use "wogs," but that might be a little more general than you have in mind (i.e., "The wogs start at Calais.").

Posted by: Alex on July 21, 2005 03:33 PM

"...wearing a blue top with wires protruding from a hole in the rear..."

I have to ask....were the wires perchance attached to a backpack explosive device? Did this sonofabitch detonate a bomb on his back and survive?

"Excuse me, please! I am needing some assistance here. I am experiencing severe burning sensation in my back due to blowing myself up. Do you accept Blue Crescent Insurance?"

Posted by: on July 21, 2005 03:47 PM

"...wearing a blue top with wires protruding from a hole in the rear..."

Perhaps a would-be martyr who got cold feet?

Posted by: Phinn on July 21, 2005 04:02 PM

I was going to make a joke involving the use of the word 'Dynomite!', but decided against it.

Posted by: John from WuzzaDem on July 21, 2005 04:12 PM

Hmmm...
Black and Asian??
Male??
In the UK...???
Didn't Tiger Woods just win the British Open??

Posted by: Uncle Jefe on July 21, 2005 06:12 PM