Is it not the case(or is it just a bit of folklore) that red Indians were first called red because of their red war paint, and nothing to do with their skin colour(which is obviously not red, as far as I now). But I disagree, McGrath, with your suggestion that Chinese people are more sallow than yellow. they have called yellow for a long time, and that is what colour they are. Not of course the same yellow as a lemon, but still yellow. Just like laurel trees and lime trees: they are nothing like the same colour, but they are both called green. usage defines that one word as covering two very different colours.
And people with sunburn generally are more pink than red.
   But since this is meant to be a hair thread, I think it is more interesting that red hair isn't really red at all.