The early Portuguese supposedly considered the Chinese to be as 'white as Germans.' As the concept of a European and white race developed in the Early Modern era, East Asians were relegated to 'yellow,' even though, objectively, most East Asians' skin color would not be out of place in central or southern Europe.
What if Europeans considered East Asians to have 'white' skin color, rather than 'yellow'? Would there be more of a focus on the epicanthic fold?