A term used to denote people of East Asian ethnic origin. Such people are characterized by their distinctive facial shape, including epicanthal folds (which cause eyes to appear narrower).
Other terms that refer to this ethnic group include Mongoloid and Oriental, although both these terms are controversial, with many deeming them racist. The most common racial slur applied to East Asians is "chink" or "chinky".
Regions in which the majority of the population are ethnically East Asian include China, Japan, the Koreas, Central Asia, Nepal, Bhutan, Taiwan, Hawai'i and Southeast Asia (although some claim that Southeast Asians are ethnically distinct from East Asians, common usage does not reflect this).
The term "East Asian" is widely used in the UK in contrast with "South Asians". In the USA East Asians are usually referred to simply as "Asians", while in Canada they are often referred to as "Orientals".