Stereotypes of South Asians are broadly believed impressions about individuals of South Asian origin that are often inconsistent with reality. While the impressions are wrongly presumed to be universally true for all people of South Asian origin, these stereotypes adversely affect the South Asians as well as the acculturation process. Ethnic stereotypes of South Asians have included Orientalism and Romanticism as well as scientific racism. These stereotypes are applied in both an unrealistically ideal way and sometimes an unrealistically negative way.