The names `` East Indian '' and `` South Asian '' are used on people who originate from India , from the First Nations peoples of Canada who are often called to Indian , and from the people of the Caribbean , who are sometimes called West Indian . The terms East Indian and South Asian are used to distinguish people of ancestral origin from India , from the First Nations peoples of Canada who are often referred to as Indian , and from the people of the Caribbean , who are sometimes referred to as West Indian .