LCASEAN-Z33

Joseph Canayon

Workshop One Reflection

Before enrolling in the course LCASEAN, I did not have any deep understanding of what an
ASEAN is. My prior knowledge of the topic is understanding that it represented a region in Asia and the
Philippines was included in it. However, in light of the questions asked and the discussion that we had in
the recently held workshop, I began to slowly develop an appreciation of what actually being an ASEAN
is, especially in the context of being someone who is part of the ASEAN community. What does being
an ASEAN actually mean? I believe that being an ASEAN is someone who represents the values of the
region, wherein they represent its Oriental traditions with a focus on the values of family, religion, and
culture being highlighted (Desk, 2016).
If one thinks about my definition of an ASEAN, I believe that this is particularly evident in all
members of the ASEAN community despite their differences. From Myanmar to the Papuan region of
Indonesia, people that live within the ASEAN community may be oblivious to it since they are only
focused on their national identity but it is clear that these values are being represented by these people.
One might ask, how exactly is this the case? Firstly in terms of family values, the core foundation of
societies within the region is families. This is because children are strongly connected to their parents as
they guide and provide for them through childhood and even until they reach adulthood. For example in
the Philippines, adult Filipinos often prioritize the welfare of their parents as a means to reciprocate the
care and affection that their parents provided for them during their childhood. However, in other regions
such as North America, such traditions do not exist anymore. It is because American adults often leave
their parents at nursing homes when they reach old age. It is clear that there is a clear difference between
the two regions as the former prioritizes family values while the latter prioritizes individualism. Another
value that is highlighted within the ASEAN community is their devoutness to religion. This is
particularly interesting because despite the various types of religions that each country practices, one
thing is clear within the region—they all share a common belief to devote oneself in spirituality. The
primary religions that are practiced within the region are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. I
believe that the reason for this may different to each individual but in my observations, people usually
practice forms of faith to serve as one's purpose or direction because of that the dominant religions of
each country plays an important part on creation of its traditions as these religions play a part on
developing the cultures of each ASEAN country. An example of this would be the Indonesian culture; its
culture is heavily influenced by its religion. Their norms are based on the Sharia law as such they cannot
eat prohibited food like pork. Another example is the Philippines as it was colonized by the Spaniards;
this means that the country primarily practices Roman Catholicism. The country observes beliefs and
practices within the Bible. These examples provide evidence of the significance of religion in the
ASEAN identity. With the two values in mind, the most critical part of the ASEAN identity is its
emphasis on culture. The culture formed within the region is created through the shared history, religion,
and traditions of each ASEAN member state. Although it might not be evidently observable within the
identities of each ASEAN country due to its citizens focusing on their own national identity, the shared
culture is spread out throughout the region. Each country borrows ideas or concepts from their
neighboring countries and sometimes these concepts become an integral part of their societies that it
actually becomes part of their identity. Examples of this may be through linguistics, wherein one country
borrows a word from another country to serve as cultural exchange within ASEAN countries (Desk,
2019 & Siar, 2017).
Overall, I believe the best word to describe being an ASEAN is amalgamation. This definition is
further supported by the former Foreign Minister of Thailand, Thanat Khoman. He said that the goal of
ASEAN is to create (ASEAN, n.d.). Essentially, being an ASEAN is to create a distinct community,
wherein each member of the community contributes something intrinsically unique to the overall
identity of the region through its diverse histories, cultures, traditions, and perspectives.
 References

ASEAN. (n.d.). The Founding of ASEAN (part 2).

https://asean.org/the-founding-of-asean/the-founding-of-asean-part-2/

Desk, R. (2016). ASEAN Community: What’s That Again? Reporting ASEAN - Voices and Views From

Within Southeast Asia. https://www.reportingasean.net/asean-community-whats-that-again/

Desk, R. (2019). ASEAN Identity: Imagined or Real? Reporting ASEAN - Voices and Views From Within

Southeast Asia. https://www.reportingasean.net/asean-identity-imagined-real/

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran - Jakarta. (n.d.). Indonesian Culture.

https://indonesia.mfa.gov.ir/en/generalcategoryservices/8447/indonesian-culture

Siar, S., V. (2017). What Does ASEAN Mean to ASEAN Peoples? (The Philippine Case).

https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/173588