Young Asian Girl Posing At Home

The term 'Oriental' (from the Latin word for "Eastern") was originally used during the Middle Ages in Europe in reference to the Near East. It was later extended to the rest of Asia, but came to refer to East Asians and in some cases, Southeast Asians in the 19th and 20th century United States, where most Asians were originally Chinese, with later additions of Korean, Japanese, and other groups from Asia.
By the late 20th century, the term had gathered associations in North America with older attitudes now seen as outmoded, and was replaced with the term "Asian" as part of the updating of language concerning social identities. However, in Europe, use of the term Oriental for an east Asian has no negative connotations attached and is commonly used. Note particularly that, in the U.K. at least, Indian people (for example) are considered Asian but not Oriental, giving credence to the point that the term 'Oriental' now means 'East Asian' rather than any meaning related to the Greenwich Meridian and its colonial links.