‘亚裔’ (Yà Yì) is a noun meaning ‘of Asian descent’ or ‘Asian diaspora’. It combines two characters: 亚 (yà), short for 亚洲 (Yàzhōu, ‘Asia’), and 裔 (yì), meaning ‘descendant’ or ‘offspring of a particular origin’. Together, they refer to people whose ancestral roots lie in Asia but who were born or reside outside Asia—especially common in English-speaking countries like the US, Canada, or Australia. The term is neutral and widely used in academic, media, and official contexts.

Unlike terms such as ‘华人’ (Huárén, ‘ethnic Chinese’) or ‘华侨’ (Qiáohuá, ‘overseas Chinese’), ‘亚裔’ is broader and inclusive of all Asian ethnicities—including South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian backgrounds—though usage in practice sometimes reflects regional context (e.g., in the US, it often emphasizes East and Southeast Asians). It carries no inherent connotation of citizenship or language ability, only ancestral origin.