The term “Eurasian” can refer to a person from Europe or Asia or a person of combined European and Asian descent. It originated with British colonizers in India and is now an umbrella term for individuals with mixed ethnicity. The largest population of Eurasians is in Southeast Asia, where European colonizers left people of various ancestries. Some Eurasian communities have maintained distinct languages and cuisines and are likely to intermarry within their own social subset. Eurasians have become hot commodities in the entertainment industry in many Asian countries.
Strictly speaking, the term “Eurasian” can refer to one of two things. The first definition refers to a person from Europe or Asia, especially in regions where the demarcation between the two continents is vague. The second refers to a person of combined European (Caucasian) and Asian descent. The latter is the definition most used today.
Taken in the contemporary context of a person with mixed ethnicity, the term “Eurasian” most likely originated with the British colonizers who settled in India. Children born to Anglo fathers and local mothers were called Eurasian. Nowadays, the term is an umbrella for all individuals whose racial heritage is taken from both the West and the East. Filipino-White Mestizos, White-Thai Luk Kreung, and even White Polynesian Hawaiian Hapa may fall into this category.
Statistically, although there are sizable numbers of Eurasians or Anglo-Indians in India, the largest population of Eurasians in the world can be found in Southeast Asia. European colonizers left people of Spanish, Dutch, German, Portuguese and French ancestry in this region, especially in the Malay Peninsula. In some cases, these people have formed separate, close-knit communities, with their own traditions and cultures, perhaps in part due to the initial distrust given to them by locals and foreigners alike.
Examples of these communities include the Kristang or Cristao of Malaysia and Singapore (Portuguese and Malay) and the Macanese of Macau (Portuguese and Chinese). Such groups have maintained distinct languages and cuisines and are likely to intermarry within their own social subset.
In the more recent past, especially in places affected by war, children with mixed Western and Eastern characteristics are despised because they are seen as children of soldiers and prostitutes, children of the nightmares of war. Perceived as constant reminders of troubled times, these “GI children” grow up unaccepted and shunned by local society. Indeed, it was only in the 1990s that many mixed-race Thais were granted citizenship.
Interestingly, the tables have now turned. Eurasians have become hot commodities in most fields having fun in the public eye and thriving as models, actors, entertainers, etc. The Eurasian face has now become de rigueur in many Asian countries. In the Philippines, for example, with its long history of Spanish colonization, Eurasian features have become the standard of beauty. Fair skin, tall stature, and an aquiline nose are almost prerequisites for a career in the entertainment industry. This sentiment can be seen resonating throughout the region, with the result that the relatively small population of Eurasians is overrepresented in the media.
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