We the youths of Southeast Asia have come together to understand the views of locals in Southeast Asia.
Us four have asked some Southeast Asians a few standardized questions to further understand the region from their point of view. The responses we have gotten were by individuals within the age group of 12 and 18. Thus, we have been listening to the younger generation's opinions and stories of Southeast Asia which gave us fresh perspectives other than that of those presented in the panel of the Southeast Asia Exchange. Our objective was to understand how different people of different countries have been influenced by Southeast Asia as a region. Other than that, we also gained first-hand insights on lives in SEA. Now, lets have a look at some of the stories gathered.
According to our survey, all respondents have implied in some shape or form that Southeast Asia is indeed a diverse region in terms of culture, people, food, religions, races, and even the flora and fauna. This is probably due to the large number of countries in the region which practice different beliefs and have different cultures, which in turn leads to the large amount of diversity that the region has. The fact that all the countries have different histories also helps in increasing the diversity in the region. This can be seen when the remnants of a colonizer is gradually integrated into the lifestyle of a country.
In the recorded surveys, respondents have shown a strong sense of pride in their home country. For example, they are proud of the various types of food, the culture, the unitedness and also the way that their country has managed to integrate multiple ethnicities in their society with minimal segregation. This shows that the large amount of diversity in SEA can also be something that some people are extremely proud of.
Some are proud of their unitedness because it allows them to truly live in harmony with one another despite the many differences.
Others are proud of the way various ethnic groups have found places in their society. This is indeed something to be proud of as some ethnicities had to fight really hard to fit into society.
It is also quite understandable why they are so proud of their cuisine -- who wouldn't be when they taste so finger licking good!
Lastly, our survey has shown that many individuals have grown into they are today because of partial influence of the region itself. One of them said they have come to appreciate the practices of other races as well as respect them. Perhaps this might be because of the multiracial society they live in where it is essential to learn to respect and appreciate one another to avoid conflicts and maintain peace. Another has stated that they have become a more hardworking and resilient person. If the citizens of a country have a high competency level, it will definitely build a more hardworking and resilient character, as they have to fight their way to the top without giving up. Someone else also said they became more sociable. This is probably because daily interactions with individuals from different backgrounds allowed them to have a heighted awareness of how to formulate good conversations and also possess necessary skills to socialize better.
It's clear as day that we have benefited a lot from this survey, for reasons below:
We learned that the individuals that responded take pride in different aspects of their home country.
Another thing that we learned is that all respondents share the same opinion that Southeast Asia is indeed as diverse as people outside the region assume it is.
Finally, all the individuals managed to have different values instilled in them by their home country, showing how the countries in SEA change a person for the better.
We appreciate you taking the time of your day to read through our story. We sincerely hope that you have managed to learn something about this beloved region of ours called Southeast Asia. Thank you for you time and have a great day ahead!
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