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People and Culture of Southeast Asia and the Pacific 

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People and Culture of Southeast Asia and the Pacific 

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As then Secretary Clinton clearly states, the United States is fully committed to building relationships throughout Asia and Australia. In this section, we will explore the economies and politics of many nations in Southeast Asia and Australia, the turmoil surrounding the Vietnam War, and the ethnography of different people in the region.

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"The U.S. is back engaged more fully in Asia. We need to expand our partnerships in the Asia Pacific region to address a wide range of concerns, from security issues to the economic crisis to climate change. We appreciate the constructive advice of our friends, and we are listening. Our commitment to a more rigorous, persistent engagement with the countries of Asia goes hand in hand with the work we do together with Australia."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, April 9, 2009

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Section Warm-Up: Making Traditional Vietnamese Pho

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Section Warm-Up: Making Traditional Vietnamese Pho

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Famous for its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is known as the 'light cuisine' of Asia. Vietnamese cuisine, while distinctive, has elements in common with both the Chinese and Thai cooking. Do you like to cook? Try to make the following recipe – a favorite soup of the Vietnamese.

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3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cinnamon stick

1 slice gingerroot

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon hot chili-garlic sauce

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (or ½ package of tofu)

2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms

1 bunch of thin rice vermicelli noodles, about 1 in. (2.5 cm)

2 green onions, sliced

¼ cup shredded mint or basil

handful bean sprouts (optional)

1 lime

1. Pour broth into large saucepan set over high heat. Add cinnamon, ginger, anise, sugar and chili-garlic sauce. Bring to a boil. Then simmer over medium-low until flavorful, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon and ginger.

2. Meanwhile, cut tofu (or chicken) into cubes. Remove and discard shiitake stems. Slice mushrooms. Oil a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and tofu. Stir often until tofu is golden around edges, 5 minutes. Add to broth. (If using chicken, add now.) Bring to a boil, then stir in noodles, separating as you add. Boil gently, stirring often, until noodles are tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Stir in onions and mint, then ladle into soup bowls. Top with bean sprouts and serve with lime wedges.

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Southeast Asia and the Pacific is an interesting region in which to study ethnography – the study of various aspects of human societies. Ethnography is often considered a branch of anthropology. Ethnography looks at many pieces that make up a human society. Ethnicity is an important means through which people can identify themselves. Ethnicity shapes a group's culture - the food, language, music, and customs. Ethnicity and race are often used interchangeably although such use is incorrect and often results in confusion. It is important to note that race is predominantly a social construct - in other words, scientists have discovered that only 2 percent of our genes are actually responsible for the visible differences such as skin color. Physical variations in the human species have no meaning except the social ones that humans put on them. What does this mean? Do you think that you can identify the race of a person simply by looking at them? Should you even try?

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ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

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ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand due to the desire for a stable external environment, the common fear of communism, reduced faith in or mistrust of external powers in the 1960s, as well as the aspiration for national economic development. Brunei, Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia have since joined ASEAN making its membership total 10 nations.

Its current aims include:

the acceleration of economic growth,

social progress,

cultural development among its members,

the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and

provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

U.S. relations with ASEAN have been excellent since its inception. At the turn of the 21st century, issues have recently shifted to involve a more environmental prospective. The fact that this regional group is tackling tough issues is no small feat. Many scholars have argued that the ASEAN principle of non-interference has blunted ASEAN efforts in handling the problem of Myanmar, human rights abuses, and haze pollution in the region.

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Political and Economic Systems in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

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Political and Economic Systems in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

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Southeast Asia is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the last forty years (e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and recently Indonesia) alongside economic basket cases (e.g. Burma) and chronic under-performers (e.g. the Philippines).

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Since 1999, the political reforms taking place in Indonesia have included term limits for the President and Vice-President - up to two five-year terms, measures to institute checks and balances, and freely elected national, provincial, and regional parliaments. Indonesia has become a very important trading partner with some unlikely European nations. Switzerland, for example, imports textiles, garments, furniture, footwear, agricultural products like tea, coffee and cocoa from Indonesia, while it exports machinery, food, drugs, medical equipment and chemicals to Indonesia. Unlike Indonesia, Switzerland lacks abundant natural resources, so it must trade with a nation that has the products it lacks.

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It was once expected that the Philippines would become the economic powerhouse of Asia, but instead it became one of its poorest countries. After years of corruption and neglect, there are, however, some tentative signs of improvement in the Philippine economy. During the regime of Ferdinand Marcos, the economy declined dramatically, destabilized by corruption. Marcos embezzled billions of dollars from the national treasury. Only recently has the country started to show signs of improvement. Its growth rate in 2007 was 7.3%, the best the country has had in thirty years. The economy of the Philippines is considered one of the newly industrialized emerging market economies of the world.

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Vietnam's economy is a developing economy. Over the past 20 years, Vietnam has made the shift from a central command planning-based economy to socialist oriented mixed market economy. The global slowdown that began in 2008 and 2009 had an incredibly negative impact on the growing economy of Vietnam. As late as 2008, Vietnam was being hailed as an Asian economic miracle, but one year later, the country had slowed to a standstill and many people were going hungry due to skyrocketing inflation (a decline in the purchasing power of money).

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Singapore was founded as a British colony by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Today, the economy of Singapore is a highly developed capitalist mixed economy. The Singapore economy is boosted by tourism, oil, and technological developments.

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The British colonized Burma in the late 19th century, and it was under the jurisdiction of the British Raj until 1937. Today, the government is an authoritarian dictatorial regime which is controlled by the military. Myanmar is considered an agricultural country. Due to the rich resources in certain countries such as oil, timber and natural gas (and cheap, often forced, labor due to the impoverishment of most people in the country), many countries -- including corporations from those countries -- and others, have turned a blind eye to the human rights violations. However, since the late 90's, Myanmar's economy has worsened due to U.S. economic sanctions enforced because of the country’s negative human rights report card.

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Today, when many Americans think of Vietnam, their mind turns immediately to War. Although this war ended over three decades ago, the impact can still be felt throughout our nation. The Vietnam Conflict was the first to be televised in homes across America. Families could see firsthand the destruction and the body bags of U.S. servicemen coming home. Protests were organized across the country by schools, colleges, churches, and civil rights groups. Never before has the country been so divided.

The Vietnam Conflict was a military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975, involving the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United States forces and the South Vietnamese army. The hostilities in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans and over 300,000 were wounded. The United States got involved to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam as part of their wider strategy of containment. As American service members fought in Vietnam, a different kind of struggle was taking place for American citizens back home, where the struggle was between the American people and their opposition to the fighting in Vietnam; and the American presidency's (beginning with President John F. Kennedy) determination to halt the spread of communism. According to the Domino Theory, the U.S. could not allow Vietnam to fall under communist control or the rest of the region would soon follow.

The United States failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975 Vietnam was reunified under Communist control; in 1976 it officially became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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population groups with ancestral connections to place prior to formally recorded (i.e. written) history

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predominantly a social construct

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when one country falls to communism, others will follow

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persistent decline in the purchasing power of money

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The study of man

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means through which people can identify themselves

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the study of various aspects of human societies