My understanding has long been that South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, etc.) were considered to form a separate race from Caucasians or whites (from Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa), Negroids or blacks (from sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and Melanesia), Orientals or Mongoloids (from Eastern and Southeastern Asia and Micronesia), and Amerindians (from North and South America and Polynesia). Of course, that comes from the old-fashioned notion that human beings can be divided into 5 races or colors, and that the colors are "brown" (South Asians), "white" (Caucasians), "black" (Negroids), "yellow" (Orientals) and "red" (Amerindians). Nowadays, of course, some people claim that there are dozens of "races." Frankly, I think any complete scientific study of genetic traits would result in the conclusion that there is one race, the Human Race, and that our physical differences are more cosmetic than anything else.
So I guess that's my long-winded explanation for why a fair-skinned Asian Indian like Bobby Jindal is not considered "Caucasian," at least not in Northeast Louisiana.
ah, the neverending debate.