Identity and Globalization

Observing daily scenes from different angles is one of the privileges foreigners get to enjoy. Every morning, I see so many people hastily walking towards somewhere. In the middle of the crowd, I think of how to sketch every corner of my current city, Singapore.

Five weeks in Singapore already offered me many scenes to capture: working with English speaking colleagues, wondering which one to choose at a hawker centre, talking to the Chinese-Singaporean lady at my favourite bakery, smiling at a Malay-Singaporean girl playing play station in the MRT and living with Catholic Indian family, all of which make up the complete piece of this colourful mosaic. Regardless of the different pulling factors, Singapore definitely provides a magnet for people from all over the world.

One day, I asked myself, ‘What does Singapore mean to everyone here? What does this country mean to me?’ I am Korean who has been educated in South Korea, Canada and the U.K. During my undergraduate years, I studied Southeast Asian history with the Euro-centric views. Through my educational and backpacking experiences in the East and the West, I have realised that my driving force is to know who I truly am. I have also learnt how to appreciate different ways in which everyone has the capacity to teach each other a lesson. At the end of the day, all of us have differences as well as common elements.

When it comes to diplomatic and political scenes, there are countless conflicts amongst Asian countries. I become resentful of ongoing disputes, I become enthusiastic when my country gains global recognition, and I become competitive when my country’s rival player wins a global contest.

Now, I move my lens to the West. I find it interesting how Asian countries enjoy so many cultural similarities, mutual influences and common interests. In the West, I discover different layers of my identity in the global context.

Our part of the world has become too small to merely highlight unsolved diplomatic issues. Whilst these problems should be raised and discussed, Asians should also re-establish their common ground and be confident about who they are and what they share.

People talk about how rapidly Asia is emerging as a new global power; newspapers forecast Asian economic with positive and dynamic terms. Western corporations are busy analysing the Asian markets.

But let’s pause for a moment. How strongly do we feel about being people of ASEAN? What do Asia and Asian citizens mean to us? How well are we aware of our own history? How much do we know about ourselves and our neighbours? If it is a new era for ASEAN and Asia, we as citizens of this region should come together to share information, exchange cultural stories and create a regional effort in promoting where we live. Without a definite step towards a regional cooperation and mutual understanding, our hope to become the leader of the future will remain unattainable. That is why this blog belongs to all of us, who have the key to our own future.

Minju Kim is a research intern at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Originally from South Korea, Minju studied in the UK, and travelled diverse countries. She loves living and learning. She is passionate about international relations, backpacking, impressionism, music, food and literature.