5 Things About Southeast Asia You (Probably) Didn't Know

The geo-political region known as Southeast Asia is home to at least 620 million people (2013 estimate) in 11 independent nation-states. It is a diverse region of diverse people who speak at least 1,253 living languages. A region with a history full of complexities and intersectionalities. I understand that within the context of U.S. racial politics the Southeast Asian identity is used in reference to the communities affected by the Vietnam War a.k.a. people from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. I also RESPECT that within certain context and spaces “Southeast Asian” only refers to the Southeast Asian Refugee communities. But in the broader context of our world and of the region itself, the definition of Southeast Asian should not be limited to just these three countries alone. Because in doing so you are ignoring the 590+ million people who live and who are from the other 8 countries of Southeast Asia. So when certain people tell me that as Filipino I am really NOT Southeast Asian. Dude, you are insulting me, you are denying me a part of my identity. You are ignoring the intersectionalities of our people, the interconnectedness of our histories, and the collective consciousness of the region and its people that spans at least 2,000 up to 5,000 years. When I identify myself as a Southeast Asian I am not doing it to take away your identity, I am simply recognizing a significant part of my own identity, my roots, my heritage and the history of my people, a diverse people who are also indigenous to Southeast Asia. R-E-S-P-E-C-T is not a one way street. Double check yourself before you wreck yourself. ‪#‎KnowYourRoots‬ Thumbs up and Subscribe for more! ► ► ► goo.gl/yDgQmK *wink* Learn more: ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) http://www.asean.org/ http://www.asean.org/resources Region and Identity: The Many Faces of Southeast Asia http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1943-0787.2011.01276.x/abstract Race and Religion in Southeast Asia http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21610285-our-departing-south-east-asia-correspondent-explains-how-plural-society-remains-key http://siuala.com/ http://pinoy-culture.com/ http://asiasociety.org/introduction-southeast-asia http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/556515/history-of-Southeast-Asia Demystifying Southeast Asia Workshop Series: Demystifying Southeast Asia: Introduction April 9, 2015 @ 6pm Location: 1128 Hart Hall (UC Davis) Demystifying Cambodia April 15, 2015 @ 6pm Location: 1128 Hart Hall (UC Davis) Demystifying the Philippines Part I: From Ancient Barangays to the Philippine-American War of 1899 April 22, 2015 @ 6pm Location: Wellman 216 (UC Davis) Part II: From the 20th Century U.S. Occupation and Imperialism to the present-day nation-state of the Philippines. April 29, 2015 @ 6pm Location: TBD (UC Davis) Support our Typhoon Haiyan School Rebuilding Project: http://youcaring.com/riseuprebuildasc... Stay Connected :) Tumblr: http://kirbyaraullo.tumblr.com Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/yeeandkirby Twitter: http://twitter.com/karaullo Instagram: http://instagram.com/karaullo Follow our adorable guinea pigs, #YuriAndKoko Instagram: http://instagram.com/thetwinpiglets #theTwinPiglets :)