Now if I start lumping everyone with epicanthic fold together in a group 'Asian', start attributing characteristics to them and begin treating them in different ways I'm using a social construction.
Randomly, I only noticed very recently this is a thing with me. I dunno, talk about unobservant; I'd seen it in relatives and for years I'd cursed my eye-liner not working the way it "should" until it finally dawned on me. And sure enough, looking at photos of myself when I was very young, there it is. AFAIK I have no east Asian heritage though; but it's its own thing in some north European types.
Er anyway. I agree with the social thing and I think a person's appearance is simply a very visible manifestation of cultures and entire histories etc. Which is okay as a starting point as long as you get it right, and part of that is first and foremost accepting people as the individuals they are: if they don't want to be encumbered by any particular baggage then it shouldn't be forced on them. And again, that's something I've observed "both sides" of the usual political divide tending to do. I won't say "for better or worse" because it's always for worse, whatever the intent.
