Someone writes: I wonder if this is because Indian women are not Asian, but
Caucasian. (According to my son-in-law who is East Indian).

I don't wish to start a big debate on LactNet, but the genetic differences
between human populations are not sufficient for modern humans to be divided
into genetic "races."  There exists no such entity as a "Caucasian" race or
an "Asian" race or an "African" race.  People from Nigeria are no more
similar genetically to people from Zimbabwe than they are to Norwegians, for
example.  People from China may be very different genetically from people
from Japan.  Even within Japan, the Ainu are very different genetically from
other Japanese.

A very limited numbered of external physical traits, along with cultural
traits, are used by people to classify themselves and others into different
ethnic categories -- but this is a very different issue.  Most Indian women
would not identify themselves as either "Caucasian" or "Asian" -- they are
"Indian" or even "of a specific ethnic or religious group within India."

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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html