Jiordan Gabriel F.

Simon II-SAG

Civilization, traits, belief and tradition; how are we at par with the Western countries?

History showed the richness of the Asian culture. Our diverse beliefs, tradition and
practices made us different from other continents. Does this make us barbarians? What were the
Western countries’ indicators for them to consider Asia as an uncivilized region?

Asian trade was discovered to reach the widest coverage in the world. We traded
clothing, gold, domestic animals, agriculture produce, household furnishing and to mention,
more intricate designs of jewelry and ornaments; this region had their own monetary
denominations to make better trades to link each Asian islands. Our products was known and
written in history books studied by American to English historians. Due to this regions fast
growing population, we even send skilled manpower to these countries to be their force
multiplier. Our Eastern medicines and health practices are now practiced worldwide like
acupuncture of China, cesarean section of India,

The Asian countries made a great contribution in World War I and II, which I considered
as not our battle. Yet lives of our brothers and sisters were shed as a contribution to a common
belief of freedom and power. As seen from the old, all we wanted was respect and recognition
that we are all but equal in rights. We wanted to compete in terms of technology that even in
warfare our knives, swords, ammunitions and body shield surpass the enemies’ war equipment.

How are we different and was tagged as barbarians? Their indicators were simple, they
don’t eat what we eat, they don’t praise what we praise and they don’t believe in what we believe
in. These are the things that struck me most during my Asian History course in our second year
in high school. I am proud to declare that Asians are not of a second class citizen nor classified
as barbarians.

I know that we have things that we owe to the Westerner’s such as social concepts, like
feminism, democracy and socialism, innovative inventions and universal language.
 Who is more civilized?
Civilization, on a westerner’s view, is all about infrastructures,
industrialization and economics; all things materialistic which are soothing to their
eyes. Historically, we Asian are within the boundaries of which they call barbarian or
uncivilized. Since we have a different definition of civilization, for us civilization
meant our own culture, beliefs and government. Without biases and threats, Asians
define civilization as a complex way of living on how a person perceives things. It’s
a simple definition! However, the real question is that even if Westerners tell us that
we are uncivilized, what are the things that we can say that we are still at par with
them? What were the Western’s indicators for civilized people?

History has a broad scope of topics which takes a life-time to learn from
books. Asian History is just a part of it. But it doesn’t mean it’s neither useless nor
irrelevant rather it is a very rich history; I dare say that Asia is the biggest continent
in the world and has the biggest number of population and trades. There are a lot of
things to learn about.

I now understand that I came from a part of the world that is very diverse yet
extraordinarily exciting. We might not be tagged as civilized race but we have
values and a culture that are at par with them. We have beliefs and traditions that
the Westerners, themselves, adopted.

As for me, I have much to learn about history. However, I now realize that
only through history that we may realize that