Okay okay I meant EAST ASIAN.
In North American English Asian usually refers to someone from China, Japan, Korea, and immediate neighbours with similiar looking people like Vietnam, Thailand etc. South Asian has become an increasingly common term in Canada to refer to people from India, Pakistan, and ttheir related neighbours.
Add me to the list of readers who figured Tai was in some way Asian. She definitely falls into the "ambiguously brown" category.(I will not be cruel and link to TV Tropes.) Giving her a last name doesn't clarify things.
As a Korean-American from NYC, this is a pretty good summary...hadn't heard the South Asian bit, but it makes sense: better than calling a Pakistani "Indian", and sure beats calling an Indian person "Paki". Amir is Middle-Eastern; Padma is obviously Indian; and as for Tai, I always thought she was either a halfie or Filipino, a Pinoy; although, depending on where you're standing, that's the same thing anyway (ducks, j/k!!)
In one of the QC dumps, Jeph did detail how tall Marten is -- does anyone remember? B/c tall asian girl looks TALL.
Just realized that's one of the things I like about QC: race just doesn't matter. Not a peep about an Indian girlfriend or whatever.