An Asian Russian in China

"Asian Russian" shouldn't be such a confusing term, since Russia spreads across the top of Asia. But somehow it is, due to the preconceived notions of what a Russian is, even among Russian people.
Kiun B was born in Yakutsk, as one of the Sakha people, who are indigenous to the region. Yet Russians often assume she's an immigrant. When she moved to China, she blended in with the crowd, but then had a hard time explaining how she is Russian to folks who couldn't wrap their heads around the idea.