Scottish Asian (Asian-Scottish or Asian-Scots) is a term defined within the 2011 Scottish census as including people of Bangladeshi,

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, Pakistani or other Asian ancestry resident in Scotland. Their parents or grandparents are normally Asian immigrants. It can also refer to people who are of dual Scottish and Asian ancestry. It combines Asian ethnic background with Scottish national identity. In traditional British usage, the term

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

did not normally include

East Asians East Asian people (East Asians) are the people from East Asia, which consists of China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, and South Korea. The total population of all countries within this region is estimated to be 1.677 billion and 21% of t ...

, who were referred by their respective national origins (e.g.

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

Malaysians Malaysians are nationals and citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and overseas Malaysians may also claim a Malaysian identity. The country is h ...

and others) or collectively as " Oriental", which similar to Scotch can be viewed of as

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

when applied to people. By contrast, in traditional North American usage the term Asian did not normally include

South Asians South Asian ethnic groups are an ethnolinguistic grouping of the diverse populations of South Asia, including the nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. While Afghanistan is variously considered to b ...

but focused on East and Southeast Asians, particularly Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese. These frames of reference reflect different migration patterns.

Census

The 2001 and 2011 censuses recorded the following ethnic groups: In addition to ethnicity, the 2011 census asked about national identity. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th
Open Government Licence v3.0
© Crown copyright. * 34 per cent of all minority ethnic groups felt they had some Scottish identity either on its own or in combination with another identity. This ranged from 60 per cent for people from a mixed background and 50 per cent for those from a Pakistani ethnic group, to 21 per cent for those from an African ethnic group. This compared to 83 per cent for all people in Scotland. * 62 per cent of the total population stated ‘Scottish identity only’ as their national identity, of which 98 per cent stated their ethnicity as ‘White: Scottish’. * 18 per cent of the total population stated ‘Scottish and British identity only’ as their national identity, of which 97 per cent stated their ethnicity as ‘White: Scottish’. * 8 per cent of the total population stated their national identity as ‘British identity only’. Of these, 49 per cent stated their ethnicity as ‘White: Scottish’, 38 per cent were ‘White: Other British’, and 8 per cent were ‘Asian’. * 4 per cent of the total population stated their national identity as ‘Other identity only’ (i.e. no UK identity), 32 per cent of those were ‘White: Other White’, 22 per cent were ‘Asian’ and 21 per cent were ‘White: Polish’.

South Asian communities

Scotland's South Asian population of more than 80,000 is mostly from

and Pakistani background. The majority are adherents of the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, Sikh and Islamic faiths and are concentrated around urban areas, such as

Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow is an urban settlement in Scotland consisting of all localities which are physically attached to the city of Glasgow, forming with it a single contiguous urban area (or conurbation). It does not relate to municipal government ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

and Dundee. However, there are Asian communities in places as small as Stornoway and as far north as

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. * Dundee - 4,000 Asians (especially the Hilltown and Stobswell) *

- 26,264 Asians *

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

(and surrounding Greater Glasgow area) - 65,000 Asians (especially

Pollokshields Pollokshields ( gd, Buthan Phollaig, Scots: ''Powkshiels'') is an area in the Southside of Glasgow, Scotland. Its modern boundaries are largely man-made, being formed by the M77 motorway to the west and northwest with the open land of Pollok ...

Pollokshaws Pollokshaws ( sco, Powkshaws) is an area on the South side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is bordered by the residential neighbourhoods of Auldhouse to the east, Eastwood and Hillpark to the south and Shawlands to the north, with the Gl ...

Govanhill Govanhill ( gd, Cnoc a' Ghobhainn) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, situated south of the River Clyde between Pollokshields, the Gorbals, Strathbungo, Crosshill, Glasgow, Crosshill, Polmadie and Queen's Park, Glasgow, Queen's Park. Shires of Sco ...

Newton Mearns Newton Mearns ( sco, The Mearns; gd, Baile Ùr na Maoirne ) is a suburban town and the largest settlement in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. It lies southwest of Glasgow City Centre on the main road to Ayrshire, above sea level. It has a popu ...

, Bearsden,

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...

and

Woodlands Woodlands may back refer to: * Woodland, a low-density forest Geography Australia * Woodlands, New South Wales * Woodlands, Ashgrove, Queensland, a heritage-listed house associated with John Henry Pepper * Woodlands, Marburg, Queensland, a her ...

)

Notable Scottish Asians

Arts and entertainment

* Ali Abbasi, media presenter and writer *

Danny Bhoy Danny Bhoy (born Danni Chaudhry) is a Scottish comedian who has performed in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United States. Early life Bhoy was born in Moffat, Scotland, as one of four children. Danny att ...

, comedian *

Shabana Bakhsh Shabana Akhtar Bakhsh (born 1981) is a Scottish actress of Pakistani descent who has appeared in soap operas such as ''River City'' and ''Doctors (2000 TV series), Doctors''. Her best known role is in the BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterl ...

, actress *

Hassan Ghani Hassan Ghani, (born 1985Mis ...

, journalist and broadcaster * Mahtab Hussain, photographer *

Sara Ishaq Sara Ishaq is a Yemeni-Scottish film director. Ishaq directed and produced the critically acclaimed film '' Karama Has No Walls'' (2012). The short film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) and BAFTA Scotland Ne ...

, film maker *

Katie Leung Katie Leung (born 8 August 1987; ) is a Scottish actress. Initially famous for playing Cho Chang, the titular character's first love interest in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, she is also known for her roles as Caitlyn in the animated ser ...

, actress *

MC-VA Mohammad Akhtar, better known by his stage name MC-VA (sometimes styled mcva) is a Scottish rapper, record producer, songwriter and entrepreneur originating from Glasgow, Scotland. Early life MC-VA was born in Glasgow into a family that emig ...

, rapper *

Aasmah Mir Aasmah Saira Mir (; born 7 October 1971) is a Scottish television and radio broadcaster and journalist who currently copresents the Monday-Thursday breakfast show on Times Radio. Early life Mir was born to first-generation Pakistani immigrants ...

, television and radio presenter *

Shereen Nanjiani Shereen Nanjiani (born 4 October 1961) is a Scottish radio presenter with BBC Radio Scotland. Before launching her radio career in 2006, Nanjiani was the chief news anchor at STV Central, having presented the news programme, ''Scotland Today' ...

, television and radio presenter * Kiran Sonia Sawar, actress *

Marli Siu Marli Siu (born 11 March 1993) is a Scottish actress. Her films include ''Anna and the Apocalypse'' (2017), ''Our Ladies'' (2019), and ''Run'' (2019), the latter of which won her a Scottish BAFTA. On television, Siu has appeared in the spy thril ...

, actress * KT Tunstall, musician * Atta Yaqub, actor and model

Business

* Dr Poonam Malik, businesswoman, entrepreneur, investor and academic * Poonam Gupta, businesswoman *

Angela Malik Angela Malik, (born 3 December 1971) is an Indian and Scottish chef, entrepreneur and food consultant. A businesswoman who built a deli business (now defunct) and multi-site Asian cookery school, The Angela Malik School of Food and Wine, Mali ...

, chef and entrepreneur * Tony Singh, chef and entrepreneur

Politics

* Bashir Ahmad - first MSP to be elected from an Asian background. Member of the SNP * Mushtaq Ahmad - Lord Provost of South Lanarkshire * Foysol Choudhury - Labour MSP for Lothian region. First MSP of Bangladeshi descent *

Pam Gosal Pam Gosal (born 25 April 1972) is a Scottish Conservative politician who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for West Scotland since May 2021. She is one of the first women of colour elected to the Scottish parliament, alongside ...

- Conservative MSP for West Scotland region. First female MSP of Indian descent *

Ayesha Hazarika Ayesha Hazarika (born 15 December 1975) is a Scottish broadcaster, journalist and political commentator, and former political adviser to senior Labour Party politicians. Early life Hazarika was born in Coatbridge, Scotland, to parents of Indi ...

- Labour political advisor *

Bashir Maan Bashir Maan CBE (22 October 1926 – 20 December 2019) was a Pakistani-Scottish politician, businessman, judge, community worker and writer. In 1970 he became the first Muslim to be elected to a representative office in the United Kingdom, serv ...

- former Labour councillor *

Hanzala Malik Hanzala Shaheed Malik (born 26 November 1956) is a Scottish Labour Party politician. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region from 2011 until 2016. Early life and career Born in Glasgow to a Pakistani father a ...

- former Labour MSP for the Glasgow region; the first Scottish Asian MSP from the Scottish Labour Party * Nosheena Mobarik - (

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

member of the House of Lords; former MEP for Scotland) *

Claude Moraes Claude Ajit Moraes (born 22 October 1965) is a British Labour Party politician and campaigner, who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for London between 1999 and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020.>s H ...

- former Labour MEP for London *

Anum Qaisar-Javed Anum Qaisar, previously Anum Qaisar-Javed (born 11 September 1992) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Airdrie and Shotts since 2021. Early life Qaisar was born to a Scottish Pakista ...

- SNP MP for Airdrie and Shotts * Jainti Dass Saggar - first non-white local authority councillor in Scotland *

Anas Sarwar Anas Sarwar (born 14 March 1983) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party since 2021. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2016, having been Member of Parliame ...

- Leader of the Scottish Labour party, first ethnic minority to be leader of a Scottish political party. MSP for Glasgow region (2016–present); former Labour MP for Glasgow Central (2010-2015) * Mohammed Sarwar - former Labour MP for Glasgow Central (1997-2010), father of Anas Sarwar * Kaukab Stewart, SNP MSP for Glasgow Kelvin. First MSP female of colour elected * Humza Yousaf - SNP MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Cabinet Secretary for Justice

Sport

* Aqeel Ahmed, boxer * Tanveer Ahmed, boxer * Jamie Bhatti, rugby union player * Asim Butt, cricketer * David Changleng, rugby union player and referee *

Malcolm Changleng Malcolm Changleng (born 25 April 1970) is a Scottish former professional rugby union referee. He is the identical twin brother of fellow referee David Changleng. Changleng began his rugby career as a player with Gala RFC, playing at fullback ...

, rugby union player and referee *

Ukashir Farooq Ukashir Farooq (born 3 January 1996) is a Scottish former professional boxer who competed from 2015 to 2021. He held the British bantamweight title from 2018 to 2019 and challenged once for the Commonwealth bantamweight title in 2019. Early l ...

, boxer *

Majid Haq Rana Majid Haq Khan (born 11 February 1983), better known as Majid Haq, is a Scottish cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and an off spin bowler. He has represented Scotland at Under 17, Under 19 and Under 23 levels, making his debut for the ...

, cricketer *

Omer Hussain Rana Omer Hussain (born 3 December 1984 in Paisley, Scotland), better known as Omer Hussain, is a Pakistani Scottish cricket player. He made his debut for the Scottish cricket team on 18 September 2005 in a C&G Trophy match against Warwickshi ...

, cricketer * Moneeb Iqbal, cricketer * Jazz Juttla, former footballer * Vishal Marwaha, hockey player * Rashid Sarwar, former footballer *

Qasim Sheikh Mohammad Qasim Sheikh (born 30 October 1984 in Glasgow) is a cricketer, who has played for Scotland and Pakistan Customs. A left-handed batsman, he made his debut for Scotland in a game against the Netherlands in the 2005 ICC Intercontinental C ...

, cricketer * Mo Yaqub, footballer

Other

* Roza Salih, activist *

Mohammed Atif Siddique Mohammed Atif Siddique is a Scottish prisoner who was found guilty, but later cleared on appeal, of one of his convictions "collecting terrorist-related information, setting up websites...and circulating inflammatory terrorist publications", res ...

, convicted of terrorism offences *

Mamta Singhal Mamta Singhal MBE BEng MSc MBA CEng FIET FWES is a design engineer and an active campaigner on diversity in engineering. In 2022 she was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours for services to engineering. In 2007, she was awarded the Women's ...

, winner of the ''Women Engineering Society'' Prize - Young Women Engineer of the Year 2007; finalist for Global MBA student of the Year 2008

Popular culture

* '' Ae Fond Kiss...'' (film on

New Scots New Scots are people of any background who have immigrated to Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with Englan ...

) * Bombay Talkie * ''

Nina's Heavenly Delights ''Nina's Heavenly Delights'' is a 2006 British drama film, drama romance film, romance comedy film, directed by Pratibha Parmar. The film was released on 29 September 2006 in the United Kingdom, and on 21 November 2007 in the United States. Sy ...

References

{{reflist Scottish people of South Asian descent Ethnic groups in Scotland Immigration to Scotland Asian diaspora in the United Kingdom