"British Asian" is used to denote a person of South Asian ancestry or origin who was born in or is an immigrant to the United Kingdom.

Although increasingly common, the term is, like "Black Briton", somewhat contested. Some consider the term "Asian" somewhat vague given the wide variety of religious, ethnic, and racial groups in both South Asia and Britain, although others see a certain degree of unity in the South Asian diaspora.

British Asians and Popular Culture

Especially since the late-1990s, British Asian performers and writers have achieved significant mainstream cultural success. The TV show The Kumars at No. 42 and the film Bend It Like Beckham have both managed to attract large, multi-ethnic audiences. The comedians Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Shazia Mirza are all well-recognised figures in British popular culture, while the actress Parminder Nagra has a prominent role in the US show ER. The broadcaster Krishnan Guru-Murphy , meanwhile, presents the respected Channel 4 News.