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I want to express the meaning that I look like a typical East Asian. Can I say that:

1) I have a (typical) Asian (physical) appearance?
2) I have an Asian look?
3) I have an Asian face?

Or any alternatives to introducing one's ethnicity?

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  • An Asian appearance is a neutral way of expressing what you want to say, bearing in mind that Asia is a vast continent whose peoples exhibit a great variety of facial features.
    – Ronald Sole
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 9:40
  • @RonaldSole Oh, yes. Maybe better to be more specific. But I thought it would be abnormal to say An East Asian.
    – Lerner Zhang
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 9:46
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    At least in Canada, "East Asian" is commonly used.
    – Canadian Yankee
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 11:11

2 Answers 2

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Your "appearance" could include the way you dress, not specifically your face.

Leaving aside any thoughts on whether it is okay to say "Asian" (as I believe some people find it a little non-specific and therefore a generalisation) I would suggest saying:

I have typically Asian features.

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  • In this context, in Britain, "Asian" means "South Asian". Maybe we aren't as PC as Americans, but you can safely say "Chinese" here.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 11:33
  • @MichaelHarvey Yes, I think more people are offended by the term "oriental". Being white myself I didn't want to comment but would have felt amiss not mentioning it whilst advising someone to say "Asian". Asia covers a large area though, and I'm sure that someone from Thailand does not have identical features to someone from China. It seems a generalisation, but definitely a discussion for another forum. ;)
    – Astralbee
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 11:35
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    @Astralbee OK. The context is: I was telling a German a story of mine and just used "appearance" but felt I was wrong later. So it doesn't matter for an European to differentiate between Sourth Asian and Chinese in this case. Thanks guys.
    – Lerner Zhang
    Commented Apr 8, 2019 at 13:35
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What you are looking for is countenance, which means "the appearance or expression of someone's face."

You can say, "I am of Asian countenance."

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