Why do Greenlanders look Asian?

Have you ever wondered why the Inuit people of Greenland bear a striking resemblance to people of Asian descent? Research reveals that these similarities trace back to their ancient ancestry and their remarkable history of migration and adaptation.

The Inuit people, composed of distinct groups like the Kalaallit Inughuit and Tunumiit, comprise the majority of the population in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. They are traditionally subsistence hunters, relying on marine mammals like whales, walruses and seals for sustenance.

They generally exhibit physical features that are commonly associated with East Asian populations. These include dark hair, dark eyes and a specific facial structure characterized by wider faces, high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes. This observation leads to the question of why the Inuit, despite living in Greenland, exhibit these Asian traits.

The ancestors of the Inuit are believed to have diverged from the Han Chinese over 20,000 years ago. Originating from Siberia (northern Asia) and other parts of Asia, they crossed the Bering Strait approximately 5,000 years ago, during an era when a land bridge connected Asia and North America. These migrants gradually moved eastward across present-day Canada and eventually reached Greenland around the 13th century.

Genetic studies indicate that despite their divergence from their Han Chinese ancestors, the Inuit have retained certain genetic markers that link them to East Asians, such as specific HLA haplotypes. Other findings also point to the Inuit sharing a closer genetic relationship with Asians than with Indigenous groups further south in North America. This connection is further supported by the presence of type B blood in a significant percentage of Inuit, a characteristic absent in other Indigenous peoples of the Americas.

While the group has been shaped by a prolonged period of isolation to the Arctic environment, they have fewer genetic variants overall compared to other human populations, but the variants they do carry occur at higher frequencies.

Experts believe that environmental factors may have also influenced the Inuit’s physical characteristics. Living in the Arctic for thousands of years has led to adaptations that helped them survive in the extreme cold, including a stockier build to conserve heat, smaller extremities to minimize heat loss.

Their wider, rounder faces and almond-shaped eyes are believed to help reduce the risk of snow blindness caused by the intense sunlight reflecting off the snow and ice. Traditional Inuit practices, such as using eye coverings, may have reinforced these adaptations over centuries.

The Inuit’s resemblance to Asian populations is a compelling reminder of humanity’s interconnected migration history. Today, they continue to thrive in their Arctic homeland, preserving their cultural traditions while adapting to the modern world.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.

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