Perceived prototypicality of Asian subgroups in the United States and the United Kingdom

Asians are monolithically categorized under one broad racial label despite their diverse compositions (e.g., with national origins from South, East, Southeast, or West Asia). Some Asian subgroups perceived to be more prototypically than others and cultural contexts may further shape such perception. With historically longstanding presence of East in the United States South Kingdom, we theorized that prototypicality different two countries would reflect these respective historical saliencies. Three studies (N = 849) examined how (non-Asian) Americans Britons terms foreign they seem. Studies 1 2 found compared British participants, Southeast as Asian; considered American participants. Study 3 showed less Asians; contrast, all other subgroups. This research demonstrates importance disaggregating contextualizing prototype theories within sociohistorical frameworks.