Week7_Anson Saechao_ASA150E

Learning about the past histories and involvement of how these two countries have been intertwined throughout history puts the wars and battles into such a larger context in comparison to what we know and have learned. As a Southeast Asian American, we have the perspectives of our families and the American side. However, Southeast Asian history itself could never really be taught from the global history perspective.

I remember taking AP World History and learned of Ancient Rome, the Ottoman Empire, and the Mayans to name a few. These historical groups were emphasized as part of world history because of they shaped the U.S. history and this western-centric ideas of society. However, we don't hear much about the ancient formations of what has been built and developed of Southeast Asian regions which provides a lot of gray area for those of that descent. Looking at the relations at the empires then helps to build, shape, and understand how it affects the current context that affects the civilizations now. Again, there needs to be an acknowledgment that before these gigantic superpowers were involved in the Viet Nam War, there were other factors that contributed to a lot of their own histories.

Question: What if there were classes that taught a global and historical perspective of Southeast Asia so that it shows more context? What would this provide to the current generations now?

Image Source: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/budget-tour-cambodia-to-vietnam/ATCV/