Southeast Asia Crossroads Podcast - CSEAS @ NIU: Recent Episodes
Dr. Eric Jones
Chris Hulshof sits down with Dr Eric Jones to discuss British methods of propaganda and psychological warfare in 1960s Indonesia. With a rising communist popularity in tandem with a growing anti-American sentiment within the country, the American and British governments saw an opportunity for propaganda within the already unstable climate. The majority of historical perspectives view this time entirely through the lens of Western powers, but Hulshof expands understanding by breaking down the different actors within Indonesia and dispelling the narrative that Western powers could exert such influence without insider aid. On the Western side, Hulshof compares the difference between British and American methods for these campaigns, noting the British’s tact and preparation when compared to the blunt force style of the CIA. The method of this operation was primarily the news, using the hole created by the government’s hostility towards journalism, propagandists were able to isolate and drip-feed stories and shape the narrative, up to the September 30th coup. Chris Hulshof is a historian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in the study of post-World Word 2 globalist landscapes, specifically Southeast Asia.
Dr Wan Juliana Emeih Binti Wahed sits down with Dr Rebecca Houze to discuss her research on Pua Kumbu textiles of the Iban people of Indonesia. She emphasizes how much these textiles can show about the culture's beliefs and perceptions. Each textile is handwoven and holds a story in its creation. Each pattern and symbol holds a cultural origin. The journey of an Iban weaver is a ritualist in nature and one that lasts a lifetime. Beliefs in these rituals vary from weaver to weaver; some believe that the rituals of the weavers reveal patters through dreams to use motives within their craft. Within the ranks of the weavers lies rules about what motives and patterns are allowed when creating tapestry. Higher ranking weavers are able to use more patterns. While apprenticeship exists within the hierarchy, the ranking is very informal. While cultural preservation of the Pua Kumbu is not widely recognized, efforts still exist both locally and within organizations. Dr Wan Juliana Emeih Binti Wahed is a Senior Lecturer at the MARA University of Technology in Malaysia. She specializes in both Industrial Design and Art history. Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
This is Part 2 of a two-part episode on Buddhism in Thailand.In part two of this episode, our guest continues to elaborate on the role that monks play within the tumultuous landscape of Thai politics and how this demonstrates a larger worldwide tension between religion and government. The monostatic order has always been a vehicle for stability with the country, and its own hierarchy and scandals inevitably shape the same culture that casts ballots. Contemporary Buddhism moves in a peculiar direction, with TikTok and a new generation of young monks spelling a shift in the transmission of the religion. This movement occurs within the ongoing cultural war of whose job it is to protect Buddhism and what that entails. All of this creates an environment for a changing religious landscape. Prakirati Satasut is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Thammasat University. He specializes in Buddhist protectionism in Thailand. Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
This is Part 1 of a two-part episode on Buddhism in Thailand. In Part 1, Dr. Prakirati Satasut is joined by Phanuphat Chattragul to discuss the politics of Buddhism in the context of a post-Coup Thailand. Here, they discuss the primary sects of Thai Buddhism and their role in Thai society, politics, and the everyday lives of ordinary Thais. They also discuss political roles that Thai Buddhist monks have had in Thai political history. Dr. Prakirati Satasut is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Thammasat University. He specializes in Buddhist protectionism in Thailand. Phanuphat Chattrakul is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at Northern Illinois University.Love our podcast? Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For only $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
This episode was made possible by the generous donation of Chester Lenczewski III.Matthew Anderson virtually joins Dr. Melissa Lenczewski to discuss the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta. Starting from the period of the Angkor empire, the Mekong River has served as an important source of agriculture for the region, that eventually evolved to become a centerpiece of culture. The discussion spans to modern day, looking at the role cyclical rainy seasons as well as the geopolitics have in natural resource management. Matthew Anderson serves as a senior biologist for the United States Geological Survey. His work specializes in leading development projects around the world. Dr. Melissa Lenzcewski is Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth, Atmostphere, and Environment at Northern Illinois University and is the Acting Director for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.Love our podcast? Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber.For only $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
to describe Japan’s 1930s-40s state and religious cosmopolitanism in Northeast Asia.Love our podcast? Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber.For only $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
Performing Arts at Nanyang Technological University. His research emphasizes pedagogy and world music. Help sustain the podcast by becoming a subscriber. For $7 per month or $1.75 per episode, you can help make future episodes possible. Visit https://foundation.myniu.com/give.php and choose your donation amount. Search for 'Center for Southeast Asian Studies' as the recipient, then put 'podcast' as your donation's special instruction. Your donation goes towards paying our student workers and maintaining the podcast studio and equipment.
Dr. Micah Morton sits down to discuss his new book, “Enchanted Modernities: Ancestral Vitalizations in the Upper Mekong.” He is joined by Miqsawr Pyawqganr (aka Haiying Li). They discuss the Indigenous Akha people, examining their positions throughout different parts of Southeast Asia and China while highlighting their efforts to build connections across borders and sustain their Indigenous culture. Dr. Micah Morton is a cultural anthropologist at NIU. His work focuses on borders, state-minority relations, religion, and the global Indigenous movement. Miqsawr Pyawqganr is an NIU alumna and Akha community member and advocate. She previously worked with the Mekong Akha Network for Peace and Sustainability (MAPS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand.To purchase his book: https://uwpress.wisc.edu/Books/E/Enchanted-Modernities
Ernest Plange Kwofie drops by the studio to discuss ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Kwofie talks about the interpersonal politics of the organization and how it differs from similar Western organizations like the European Union. He looks at the organization's effectiveness in responding to threats as well as its ability to implement and enforce policies within its member nations. Ernest Plange Kwofie is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science specializing in comparative politics and international relations at Northern Illinois University.
Dr. Wannasarn Noonsuk joins Dr. Nam Kim to discuss early civilizations in what is now Vietnam and how uncovering creations of the past sheds light on the shifting cultural landscape of ancient Mainland Southeast Asia. They also examine how changing views of the past help to inform local and academic understandings of the region today. Dr. Nam Kim is a Professor of Anthropology and the Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He studies society and social organization through archaeological artifacts and specializes in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. Dr. Wannasarn Noonsuk is an associate professor in the Department of Art, Design, and Art History at California State University. He specializes in the archaeology of Peninsular Thailand as well as early maritime trade in Southeast Asia.
Dr. Muzakki Bashori sits down to discuss his new book “When the Rice Cries” a children's story that uses rice idioms to teach about the importance of reducing food waste. Bashori discusses Javanese language conservation and his mission to promote the use of Javanese among children in Indonesia. Dr. Muzakki Bashori is a Lecturer and researcher at Universitas Negeri Semarang. His research focuses on speech recognition and speaking anxiety as well as the upkeep and revitalization of the Javanese language.
Dr. Joel Selway sits down with Phanuphat Chattragul to discuss his research on shifting notions of Thai identities. He examines Thai identities within the context of various ethnic groups and geographical regions through surveys and interviews. Dr. Joel Selway is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Brigham Young University. He specializes in studying democratic systems in ethnically diverse societies. Phanuphat Chattragul is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at NIU.
Dr. Eliott Prasse Freeman sits down to discuss his new book: “Rights Refused Grassroots Activism and State Violence in Myanmar.” The discussion focuses on the evolution of the concept of human rights, from its categorical, colonial understanding to its impact on modern-day Myanmar. Freeman cites examples of spiritual practices surrounding political protests and the different ways that activists have fought for rights throughout modern history. Dr. Eliott Prasse Freeman is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Singapore. He is a Burma Studies specialist who researches human rights, political protest, and violence.Book available now through Standford University Press at: https://www.sup.org/books/anthropology/rights-refused
Dr. Nora Taylor sits down to discuss Vietnam’s Cold War connections with the Soviet art world. She cites examples of how Soviet-educated Vietnamese artists used what they learned to create art that was critical of colonialism and was reflective of the emergent nationalist landscape. Dr. Nora Annesley Taylor is an Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art History at the Art Institue of Chicago. She specializes in the study of the contemporary art of Vietnam and Singapore.
Anthony Scott sits down to discuss Buddhism and its effect on the Cold War. Scott dives deep into the history of Buddhism and its impact on politics within Asia. He discusses the rise of Ashin Janakabhivamsa, a popular Burmese monk during the Cold War, especially his radical yet traditionalist ideas about Buddhism and its doctrine. The discussion ends with how Buddhism ideology interacts with Communist ideology. Anthony Scott is postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto.
Professor Chamni Sripraram sits down with 3 NIU students to talk about their Summer: “Song for the Blind” trip. Put together by Professor Chamni, the trip was an opportunity for American students to teach music to visually impaired Thai children. The group reflects and laughs about the experience together, discussing what they learned about other cultures, music, and themselves. Professor Chamni Sripraram is an adjunct professor teaching “Music of Southeast Asia” and “Music of Thailand” courses and directing the Thai Music Ensemble at NIU.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Paul Chambers and Dr. Napisa Waitoolkiat to discuss Paul Chambers’s new book “Praetorian Kingdom: A History of Military Ascendancy in Thailand.” Together they discuss the history of the military in the Thai government and its continued dominance in Thai politics. Chambers examine the rotating roster of pollical players in regimes past and present, and their relationship with loci of power. Dr. Paul Chambers is a lecturer and researcher. He serves as a lecturer and special advisor at the Centre ASEAN Community Studies at Naresuan University. Dr. Napisa Waitoolkiat serves as the Dean of the Facuilty of social sciences at Naresuan University.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Paul Wright, Paolo Eslava, and Dr. Jeremy Bulter to discuss physical education in a Southeast Asian Context. The guests share their experiences as practitioners of SEA martial arts and the contributions SEA martial arts have on their professional and personal lives. They reflect on the history of Southeast Asian combat sports and how the competition has evolved due to standardization in the past few decades. Dr. Paul Wright is a Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education at NIU. His research specializes in Youth Development and social-emotional learning. Paolo Eslava is a graduate student in athletic training at Northern Illinois University. He was the former strength and conditioning coach for the Philippines Pencak Silat National Team. Dr. Jeremy Bulter is the Associate Director of Project FLEX, a sport-based leadership program that teaches life skills through sport to positively impact the lives of incarcerated youth, and an Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Education at NIU.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Nicolas Revire and cohost Dr. Catherine Raymond to discuss the mythical golden land of “Suvarṇabhūmi” and its modern-day interpretations. Together they examine competing claims based on archeological records by both Thailand and Myanmar to be the true location of Suvarṇabhūmi. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the challenges of accurately dating artifacts from the region and the continuing repatriation efforts by art historians and museum professionals. Dr. Revire is the current Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Research Fellow at the Art Institute of Chicago. His research specializes in Buddhist archeology in premodern Southeast Asia. Dr. Raymond is an archeologist and art historian specializing in Theravada Buddhist Art. Dr. Raymond is an Emeritus Professor of Art History and previously served as the director for the Center for Burma Studies at NIU.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Tessa Winkelmann to discuss her new book: Dangerous Intercourse: Gender and Interracial Relations in the American Colonial Philippines 1898 – 1946. They dive into the history of the Philippines during the change from Spanish to American occupation. Winkelmann looks at history through perspectives of various individuals, particularly women, contrasting the reality of interracial relations with American propaganda. Dr. Tessa Winkelmann is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, her research specializes in the world, empires and imperialism, ethnic studies, and gender and sexuality studies
Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Aurore Candier and Dr. Catherine Raymond to talk about how Burmese conceptualizations and understandings of governance and political relationships shifted over the course of the 1800s at the beginning of colonial contact. Together they discuss the role of astrology, oral tradition, and rumors within Burmese governance and worldview and what happened with the introduction of print media. Dr. Candier is a historian and researcher who specializes in the study of Myanmar and the country's changing political landscape throughout history. Working for more than 20 years in Myanmar, she now serves as the Director of the Center for Burma Studies at NIU and an Associate Professor of History.Dr. Raymond is an archeologist and art historian specializing in Theravada Buddhism arts. Dr. Raymond is an Emeritus Professor of Art History and previously served as the director of the Center for Burma Studies at NIU.
Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Thomas Baudinette and NIU history PhD student Kit Faulk to discuss the rise and propagation of Thai Boy Love (or BL) media. Baudinette goes in-depth into the history of the medium, beginning from its roots in Japan to its eventual explosion within Thai media culture. Together, they discuss the political and social ramifications of BL media within the context of Thailand and what it means for gender and sexuality within the country. Dr. Baudinette is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature at Macquarie University. Focusing on the cultural development of gender and sexuality, he studies LGBTQIA+ culture within Southeast Asia.
Dr. Kanjana is joined by Dr. Ivan Small, the new director of Northern Illinois University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Together they delve into Small’s research documenting the movement of money in and out of Vietnam through remittance. Small discusses the practice and impact of these remittance flows on coastal Vietnamese communities, from a local level to the government’s perspective. Small comes to NIU from the University of Houston in Houston, Texas where he served as an associate professor of anthropology. A cultural anthropologist with training grounded in Southeast Asian studies, Small has years of experience working at higher education institutions. He brings a passion for his work to his role at NIU.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr. Trude Jacobsen Gidaszewski, Thom brown, and this episode’s guest, Dr. Johnathan Padwe. They are here to discuss Mosquitoes in the lowlands of Southeast Asia. They the human body's ability to create an acquired immunity to Malaria due to the regularity of infection in the lowlands of Southeast Asia, and how this immunity was useful within the ancient Southeast Asian Economy. Dr. Padwe is an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Hawai’i Mānoa. He studies the nature of Southeast Asia, and the anthropology of how ethnic groups and farmers have historically interacted with it.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Pam Barger and Dr. James Cohen to talk about teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and massive open online courses (MOOCs) in Thailand. They discuss how MOOCs are capable of disrupting the way English is taught while providing universally accessible methods of language learning. Dr. Barger is a Thai American scholar and a professor of English language teaching at Wheaton College. She specializes in Comparative International Education.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Theara Thun to talk about the evolution of ‘knowledge’ and ‘information’ within the Cambodian context, especially with the advent of print media and how the new medium affected the production, transmission, and creation of new knowledge. He dives even deeper, looking at the ways the Khmer understanding of history and documentation shifted to encompass Western systems of bookkeeping while retaining their primary method of aural storytelling. Dr. Theara Thun is a scholar of Southeast Asia, specifically his home nation of Cambodia. He studies the shifting intellectual traditions of southeast Asia, reflecting on how the changing world affects the development of education and intellectualism within the region.
Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Tun Myint to talk about his latest research. Together they examine the concept of science as an idea of societal acceptance. They study how the Southeast Asian market changes to support a more educated, wealthy, and comfortable society. Dr. Tun Myint is a professor of political science and international relations at Carton College. His teaching and research focus on examining Southeast Asia, democracy, and the rising agency of individuals within Society.
Our host is Dr. Trude Jacobsen Gidaszewski, who is joined by Mattias Fibiger, and a cast of NIU grad students. Fibiger discusses his book on the rise of the Indonesian dictator Suharto over the Cold War, how he shaped society, and how he is remembered today in modern Indonesia. After talking about his book, he answers a multitude of questions from the guest hosts. Dr. Fibiger is an associate professor at Harvard Business School, where he teaches and researches the economy of Southeast Asia. Fibiger studies the area’s historical relations with the international community through its economy and the government.
Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Oona Parades, Dr. Micah Morton, and Joseph Allen Ruanto-Ramirez to discuss the diaspora of the Lumad people of the Philippine Island of Mindanao. Together they all break down the differences between the Modern Pilipino people and the Modern Lumad. Parades dispels the idea that this group is the window to precolonial Philippines, breaking down the group's history, traditions, and experiences with Spanish colonists. Dr. Parades is an anthropologist and ethnohistorian of Southeast Asia. A teacher and researcher, she studies the way ethnic minorities have interacted with the dominant culture and government within areas of Southeast Asia.
Dr. Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr. Melissa Lenczewski to discuss groundwater quality and testing in Southeast Asia and the United States. Together they bring to light how Arsenic and Microplastics have a strong presence in the water quality of countries that have poor infrastructure for testing and regulation, and the issue of water quality could lead to permanent structural damage if not properly monitored. Dr. Melissa Lenczewski is a professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Environment at Northern Illinois University, a specialist in groundwater testing, and a Fullbright Research scholar of Cambodia and Thailand.
Dr. Eric Jones is joined by Dr. Wang, Dr Atkins, and this week's guest: Professor Jeremy Wallach to talk all about metal music in Southeast Asia. Wallach talks about how metal music is a genre for the youth, and how it is bringing attention to civil issues within the Southeast Asian political landscape. Wallach dispels the rumors about metal heads and sheds light on the political topics their songs tend to cover.
Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk is joined by Dr Taylor Easum, Trude Jacobson Gidaszewski, and Peter Alexander to discuss the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, a city at the crossroads of culture. Together, they discuss how the province is not just a Thai city, but multicultural and rich in history created by colonizing forces. Dr Taylor Easum is a historian at the Department of History at Indiana State University.
Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Sharon Quinsaat to discuss diasporas within the Philippines and their effect on the country's national identity. Through the context of Filipinos living within the Philippines, Filipinos living within other countries, and the government's historical attempts to influence Philippino culture, Quinsaat discusses the ever-changing identity of the country.Quinsaat is a member of the Department of Sociology and Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies, at Grinnell College
In this episode of Crossroads, Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk speaks with Phan Nhiên Hạo about his experience as an immigrant from Vietnam translating into his poetic works and existing between two cultures and languages. Hao Phan (Phan Nhiên Hạo) is the Curator of the Southeast Asia library collection at Northern Illinois University and a published poet. He is the author of three collections of poetry written in Vietnamese and two collections of poetry translated into English. His recent book, Paper Bells (The Song Cave, 2021), translated by Hai-Dang Phan, was on the Longlist of the 2021 PEN America Literary Awards for poetry in translation, and on the Shortlist of the 2021 Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize.
Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits down with Dr Michael Dwyer to talk aboutstate reversals of earlier agrarian reforms in Southeast Asia that have rolled back “land-to-the-tiller” policies created in the wake of Cold War–era revolutions. They disucss this trend, marked by increased land concentration and the promotion of export-oriented agribusiness at the expense of smallholder farmers, and exposing the convergence of capitalist relations and state agendas that expand territorial control within and across national borders.Here is a link to his book Upland Geopolitics https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295750491/upland-geopolitics
Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk sits with VC Tang to discuss her new cookbook released titled "Come Eat, Grandma!" In this podcast, they discuss the writing process, some of the experiences that lead to the creation of this book, and growing up Thai in America and the joys and struggles it entails.VC Tang's book has been described as "A collection of flashbacks, lessons, and recipes along a personal journey of growth in the kitchen. The menu ranges from popular Thai favorites to lesser-known home comfort food to the meeting of Thai and Chinese flavors that represent the Teochow migrants in the author's family line."You can purchase this book on her website https://www.stirfrystories.com/
In this podcast, Dr Kanjana Thepboriruk and Chomkate Ngamkaiwan, a PhD candidate in Criminology at Mahidol University, Thailand, examine the ongoing PM2.5 crisis in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and its vicinities as a form of environmental crime. She also explores the relationship between the air pollution and policy corruption. In these research areas, PM2.5 pollution has been magnified by the misuse of economic power and political influence towards public policies and legal loopholes related to the major sources of pollutants: transportation, factories, open burning, and construction. To acquire the insight about the issue, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions have been conducted with government officials, NGOs, scholars, entrepreneurs, and local leadership.
Drs Jones and Jui-Ching Wang sit down with Dr Joe Kinzer to explore how centuries of conflicting Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic influences from India and the Middle East have transformed and continue to complicate Malay cultural politics in 21st century musical practices. Joe Kinzer received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington in 2017, and specializes in issues of identity and religious expression in Asian musical contexts. He has taught ethnomusicology courses at the University of Washington and Northern Illinois University. Currently, he is the Senior Curatorial Assistant for Harvard University’s Archive of World Music and Affiliate Faculty member for Antioch University’s Individualized Master of Arts (IMA) Program. He plays the ‘ud (Arab lute) in Boston College’s Astaza! ensemble and is Section Editor for the Malaysian Journal of Music
This podcast Dr Jones speaks with Drs Kanjana Thepboriruk and Laura Vilardell and examine the ways in which the team of volunteer Thai language translators navigated their own identities, the collaborative translation process, and the linguistic and cultural challenges of producing the 2020 Thai Letters for Black Lives. Thai was one of fifty-two languages used for translating the 2020 version. The discussion focusses on the ways that translators’ identities and stance informed the translation process, translation choices, and the end product. In particular, the study focuses on how the translators perform their identities, especially Thainess, during the metalinguistic discussions that were essential to the translation task and translation process. The findings contribute to and widen our understanding of Thainess and what it means to be Thai in diaspora.
In this episode, Drs Jones and J. Casey Hammond discuss China and their 5g network and tensions with Huawei and the United States.J. Casey Hammond is a China and Southeast Asian affairs analyst, university lecturer, and independent researcher. He received his PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MCP in Economic Development and Regional Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In this episode, Drs Kanjana and Jones talk to Hmong hip hop sensation Tou SaiKo Lee about his experience as a Hmong American reclaiming and uniting the old and new in his culture through hip hop.
Today Tou SaiKo is an intergenerational bridge builder, worldwide teaching artist, cultural revitalizer, cultural innovator and catalyst for movement.
He was born in the Nong Kai refugee camp in Thailand. He is currently a community outreach coordinator for Frogtown Neighborhood Association, a teaching artist for COMPAS Arts, a spoken word poet, intergenerational storyteller and a hip hop lyricist.
https://soundcloud.com/tou-saiko-lee https://www.facebook.com/tousaikunites
In the film Apocalypse Now (1979), a single phrase marks an iconic enemy and creates a chain of associations separating the shared kinship and apotheosis of Western Selves and Eastern Others. “Charlie don’t surf” signals conflicted interactions with Southeast Asia water lifeworlds that call for critical relationality and understanding, concepts Dr Eric Haanstad will explore in this podcast with Dr Jones and Isabelle Squires.
Eric Haanstad began exploring anthropology at the University of Minnesota where he studied Anishinaabe Ojibwe (Chippewa) languages and cultures in American Indian Studies. He received a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in August of 2008 and since then taught and conducted research in Cambodia, Thailand, Germany, and the U.S. Seacoast. He is publishing a book, To Protect and Suppress Protective Suppression in the Year of the Thai Police, focusing on his research with the Royal Thai Police.
Nicholas Kuipers is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of California, Berkeley and a predoctoral scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. Most of his research is interested in identifying whether and when certain political institutions worsen group-based antagonisms.
In this podcast, he and Dr Jones discuss the civil service exams in Indonesia and the civil unrest that follows.
Dr. Jones talks with Dr. Clayton about using his expertise to work on issues of demining in Cambodia using robotics. In a country where more than 1.1 million acres are contaminated with explosive remnants of war, the nonprofit was looking for ways to develop robotic solutions to help technicians with their disposal.
Dr. Jones talks with MauMau, a refugee from Myanmar's February coup. MauMau talks about the nature of the coup and living under military law in Myanmar as a protestor post-Covid.
Drs Jones and Arnold discuss the African American experience in the Vietnam War. Professor Stanley Arnold's research interests are concentrated in two related areas, civil rights movement in the United States from 1920 to 1970 exclusive of the South and the intersection of race and sports in the United States. As a historian, one of his goals is to link the study of the past to the relevance of today. His work in these two principal fields serves to illuminate many aspects of the contemporary American experience.
In this talk Dr Jones interviews Jan Middendorf, who serves as the Associate Director for Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification (SIIL) at Kansas State University (KSU). In this role, Middendorf oversees the operational, programmatic, and reporting aspects of SIIL’s $75 million research portfolio in Africa, Asia, and Central America (Burkina Faso, Malawi, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia Tanzania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Guatemala, and Honduras).
Dr Jones and Glynnis White talk with Elizabeth Clendinning about gamelan in America. Elizabeth Clendinning's research addresses concepts of space, time, cultural representation, and pedagogy within transnational Balinese gamelan communities and in film and television music. Her writing has appeared in various journals and edited volumes, including Musicultures and Ethnomusicology. She embraces her role as a teacher-scholar through incorporating her research into her teaching and providing hands-on opportunities for students to experience music and culture.
In this talk, Drs Jones and Legerwood talk with Dr Grant and explore how medical imaging participates in the re-configuration of public and private health care in Phnom Penh. Dr Grant consider different concepts to help parse the organization of care when Cambodia’s political economy evades captions such as “socialism” or “free market capitalism.”
Jenna Grant is a cultural anthropologist working in the fields of medical anthropology and medical humanities; feminist and postcolonial science and technology studies; visual anthropology; and Southeast Asia Studies. Her work includes participatory filmmaking, ethnographic and historical analysis of medical imaging, and community-based inquiry of archival images.
Drs Jones and Atkins speak with An Tran on his classical guitar playing infused with Vietnamese style.
Tran is based in Chicago and has won 13 international and awards. he has been praised for his “gorgeous playing” and “flawless technique” by the KnoxTNToday, and received many accolades for his dynamic artistry including being hailed as a “Vietnamese guitar virtuoso” by Austin Classical Guitar.
An Tran started learning the guitar at the age of eight with Vietnamese guitarist Nguyen Hai Thoai. Afterward, he received his musical training at the Vietnam National Academy of Music studying with guitarist Vu Viet Cuong. He received his B.A. in Music and the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from North Park University, studying with Julie Goldberg and Tom Zelle and his Master of Music along with the Southeast Asia Studies Fellowship from Yale University, studying with Benjamin Verdery.
Currently a Dorothy and Carl Johnson endowed Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Northwestern University studying with Anne Waller, An continues to transcend boundaries with his music.
In this podcast Drs Jones and Kanjana sit down with Dr. Leslie Castro-Woodhouse about her book, Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand. They will discuss a northern Thai consort named Dara Rasami played a critical role in Siam’s effort to emulate a European-style “hierarchy of civilizations” in building a modern nation-state. The trajectory of Dara’s 24-year career as an ethnic outsider within the rarefied space of the Siamese Inner Palace illuminates both Siam’s crypto-colonial strategies to assimilate regional elites, and women’s importance to Thai political history.
In this talk, Drs Eric Jones and Micah Morton discuss the work of certain ethnic Akha elite to promote a pan-Akha identity among their roughly 730,000 ethnic kin residing throughout the Upper Mekong Region. The region’s ongoing transformation from battlefields to markets is being accompanied by the growth of more formal transborder ties among a number of non-dominant ethnic groups, such as the Akha, Dai-Lue, Lahu, and Hmong. Since the late 2000s, a network of self-declared “Neo-Traditionalist” Akha elite based in the Thai-Myanmar borderlands has been recrafting the religio-political borders of belonging in a larger “Akha World” in the making that encompasses multiple local, national, and regional borders.
We sit down with a few future difference makers from Jakarta, Jeremy and Faith Intan, to hear where they stand on the environment.
Drs Jones and Wong talk to Jennifer Goodlander about Balinese cultures and arts and how it would turn into an amazing journey of ritual and shadows. Jennifer describes the training and rituals she experienced while becoming a dalang, or puppeteer, in order to provide insight into the function of tradition in Balinese religion and culture.
Jonathan Liljeblad and Eric Jones take to the microphones to explore the complications of carrying out a human rights curriculum in Burma.
Drs Eric Jones, Vichet Chhuon, and Marina Aleixo discuss critical notions of race, identity, and belonging for Cambodian American youth and families. Drawing from previous work, Professor Chhuon describes the ways that Cambodian American youth are simultaneously invisible and hypervisible in their school and community, which shape access to important identities and relationships.
Drs Jones and Elvin Ong discuss how pre-electoral alliances significantly enhance the chances of opposition victory against dominant incumbent autocrats.
Nicolas Verstappen joins Eric Jones and Kanjana Thepboriruk to explore the forgotten history of Thai comics
Drs Jones and Matthew Jagel visit the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL. Gayln Piper and Kyle Mathers join us as we discuss not only the history of the First Division, including Vietnam, but get a behind-the-scenes peek at the museum and some amazing artifacts.
In this episode, Judy Ledgerwood sits down to talk about her latest research and the unprecedented study of one Cambodian village across tumultuous decades.
Jacob Shell is an Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Studies at Temple University. He received his PhD in Geography from Syracuse University. Shell arrived at his interest in Burma (Myanmar) through the topic of transportation: in particular transportation on animal-back. His first book, "Transportation and Revolt: Pigeons, Mules, Canals, and the Vanishing Geographies of Subversive Mobility," was published by MIT Press in 2015. Shell initially set out to write a book about elephants as a means of transportation in 2012, a research framing which directed his attention to the teak forests of central Burma, as well as to the forests of Kachin State and to Northeast India. His book about this topic, "Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working with Elephants," was published by WW Norton in 2019. Shell also draws maps.
Eric Jones and Aarie Glas welcome Drs. Dylan Loh, Deepak Nair and Philips Vermonte to discuss the role and response of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the upheavals in Myanmar
Tontrakul is a modern Isaan music project that began when Tontrakul Kaewyong wanted to create new sounds for Isaan music. He experiments with other musical genres like drum 'n' bass, future bass, ambient house and world beats but maintains the distinct accent of Thailand's northeast.
Dr. Eric Jones and Isabelle Squires sit down with Dr. Michael Hawkins to explore his research on the Moro Village exposition. In 1904, the United States government contracted to bring 88 Filipino Muslims to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition as live exhibits. These Moros were officially classified as “semi-civilized” subjects. This podcast explores efforts to market and promote the Moro exhibit to American patrons through themes of savagery, violence, colonial danger, and even cannibalism. It also takes special note of the ways that Moros negotiated, resisted, and actively collaborated with these themes.
Dr. Jones interviews Dr. Shzr Ee Tan, author of Beyond Innocence and Gender in Chinese Music.
They discuss music, soundscapes, culture, religion and technology, and how migrant workers utilize these resources to strengthen their identities and create a place for themselves to find solace and a sense of community as they are working abroad.
Some links to Dr. Tan's work
https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/shzr-tan(ad70e394-5ecb-4805-bdd3-5f0db9655199).html
https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Innocence-Aboriginal-Ecosystem-Musicology/dp/1138115835
https://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Eastman-Rochester-Studies-Ethnomusicology/dp/1580464432/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781580464437&linkCode=qs&qid=1616385738&s=books&sr=1-1
In this episode of Crossroads, Dr. Jones interviews Dr. Cooler about the repatriation of a thousand year old statue of the Buddha to Myanmar after being stolen in the mid 80s and then recovered later by Dr. Cooler. Come join us for the twists and turns as the Buddha travels from Myanmar, Bangkok, San Francisco, New York, Dekalb, France, and finally, back to Myanmar.
In this episode of Crossroads, Dr. Eric Jones talks with Thomas Gardiner and Brittany Hebeler whose GKWW law firm is in the unique position of representing victims of recent Indonesian airline disasters. Go to https://gkwwlaw.com/aviation for more information.
Dr Eric Jones speaks with Mesrob Vartavarian on the US relationship with the Philippines. Since the turn of the twentieth century, the United States has shaped and interacted with coercive institutions in the Philippines in pursuit of its own strategic interests. Philippine military professionalism, praetorianism, and de facto autonomy were all encouraged by the United States to either facilitate or place limits upon political change. This lecture emphasizes the influence of underlying structures over discreet events.
https://einaudi.cornell.edu/discover/people/mesrob-vartavarian
In this crossover episode from our sister podcast Napalm in the Morning, Drs Jones and Jagel interview Dave Luhrssen, author of The Vietnam War on Film, War on the Silver Screen, Secret Societies and Clubs in American History, and many others! Come for the historical analysis, stay for the historians!
davidluhrssen.com/
Dr. Jones and Eve Zucker discuss Cambodia and the recovery of the country post-genocide and the alterations of a statue commissioned of Yeay Mao. https://anthropology.yale.edu/people/eve-zucker
Drs Jones and Jagel speak with historian and museum conservationist Heath Hardage Lee on her book League of Wives, her inspiration and work in oral history collecting interviews for the book, and the upcoming major Hollywood film adaptation.
Order her book here on her website. https://heathleeauthor.com/
In this podcast, Drs Jones and Jagel interview Hoang Minh Vu, a Ph.D. Candidate from Cornell, on his research surrounding the Third Indochina War and Vietnam’s efforts to integrate itself into the economic fabric of the non-Communist global market. Hoang Minh Vu highlights ASEAN’s rapid post-Cold War enlargement and transformation into the indispensable host of the most important Asia-Pacific security and economic fora.
Eric Jones sits down with Irving Chan Johnson, Associate Professor in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, to discuss his passion for Thai temple murals and the specificities of the Thai style. Here is are two links to his book "The Buddha on Mecca’s Verandah: Encounters, Mobilities, and Histories along the Malaysian-Thai Border"
https://www.amazon.com/Irving-Chan-Johnson/e/B00DWKTL00%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/518188/pdf
In this episode of Crossroads, Dr. Eric Jones sits down with the founder of the Center for Burma Studies at NIU, Richard Cooler. They discuss Cooler's passion for Burmese art, history, and culture and how these inspirations drove him to found the Center for Burma Studies, and why NIU was chosen to house this establishment.
Eric Jones sits down with Ian Coxhead, Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to discuss the challenges involved in the labor market in Vietnam.
Social media has changed the political landscape in significant ways, particularly as it pertains to elections. Eric Jones sits down with Kanjana Thepboriruk and Punchada Sirivunnabood to discuss the 2019 election in Thailand and how social media and political culture is changing.
Like many people, Jon Racek's career in modern architecture took an abrupt turn after the 2008 financial recession. When he reassessed his career and how to move forward, he ended up moving to Thailand with his family. The move catalyzed a journey to build community education systems, specifically playground equipment. Eric Jones sits down with Jon to discuss this journey, its connection with Southeast Asia, and how his idea is championing a new approach to NGO work.
Music permeates our lives in a multitude of ways and many believe it is a gateway to the supernatural. However, it is much more than that. Music can reveal history, culture, religion, politics, to name just a few. Eric Jones sits down with Andrew Shahriari and Chamni Sripraram to discuss how music in Thailand is a gateway to its cultural traditions.
For scholars of Southeast Asian Studies, the fluidity of gender in Southeast Asia is permeating contemporary scholarship in new ways. Dr. Tamara Loos and Kanjana Thepboriruk sit down with Eric Jones to discuss the impact of Judith Butler's work as a foundation to these rising, novel discussions concerning gender in Southeast Asia.
Thailand has a unique social structure because it is a country of the global South but has never come under colonial rule while emulating Western modernization. The result is a double structure, one part consisting of a precapitalist structure and the other comprising a hierarchy of social classes. On this episode, Dr. Boike Rehbein sits down with Eric Jones, Kanjana Thepboriruk, and John Hartmann to discuss the peculiarities of Thailand's social structure and the resulting inequality.
Dr. Shoua Yang, Professor of Political Science at St. Cloud State University joins Dr. Eric Jones to discuss the impacts of foreign capital on the political and economic development of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Dr. Yang's insight reveals the benefits and consequences of receiving aid from foreign nations in the process of development.
Today we sit down with Nathanael Sumaktoyo to explore the puzzle of Muslim voting behavior with double minority candidates.
Crossroads would like to thank Agung Pradanta for today's music.
On this episode, Katherine Bowie joins Eric Jones, Kanjana Thepboriruk and Matthew Trew to discuss her new research on the influential monk, Kruba Srivichai and his place in defining modern Thailand.
Crossroads would like to thank Dangdut Cowboys for their musical addition to today's show.
We're joined by Meredith Weiss to uncover the mysteries of "hybrid" electoral authoritarian regimes and find out why they prove so durable.
On this episode, we host ethnomusicologist and Dangdut Cowboys founder Andrew Weintraub and explore his fascinating research on popular music in Southeast Asia
Today Rachel Jacobs shares her innovative interdisciplinary research into social ties and the effects of collectivization on mortality in Democratic Kampuchea.
Join us as Anne Foster discusses her new research on opium and transnational Southeast Asia
In this episode we talk to Rosalie Metro about her captivating novel on cultural understandings and misunderstandings in Burma
Today Eric Jones and Andrea Radasanu are joined by comparative political theorist Matthew Walton, sharing insights into his years of research into Buddhist activism in Myanmar
In this episode Eric Jones and Catherine Raymond hear from Austin-Based Artist Judy Jensen and her unique project to restore reverse glass temple paintings in northern Thailand
This episode we are joined by Vicente Rafael and we try to understand the photography coming out of the Philippine drug war under President Duterte
Today we sit down with Michael Vann, and discuss his exciting new graphic history The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empire Disease and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam
Mitch Hendrickson, specialist on the rise of Angkor, comes by to share new insights about this epic civilization
Mark Padoongpatt stops by to talk about his exciting new book, Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America with Mark Padoongpatt
In this episode we welcome Asian American Studies professor Fiona Ngo, and talk about the discourse of “self-sufficiency” and its Southeast Asian connection to the history of immigration, disability, race and welfare in the US
Today we are joined by Dr. Tharaphi Than as she encourages us to study Myanmar through food: Challenging paradigms and Connecting University with Communities. Dr. Than will focus on students from National Chengchi University in Taiwan and Yangon University in Myanmar.
In this episode, we learn from Dr. Vemu about biodiversity hotspots, discovering new antibiotics and ethno-pharmacology in Southeast Asia
Join us as Michael Vann and Eric Jones sit down to engage issues of history and memory, state-constructed narratives, political silences, and uncomfortable relationships within the contemporary ASEAN framework
On today’s episode Eric Jones and Kenton Clymer interview Bradley Simpson and we discuss genocide, justice and the ongoing search for truth and accountability in the 1965-66 Indonesian mass killings
James Hoesterey visits Eric Jones and Sinta Febrina to discuss the enigmatic Indonesian preacher, Aa Gym
Today we are joined in studio by Lisa NIziolek and we learn more about her research on the Field Museum’s collection of the Java Sea Seawreck.
In this episode, Ian Baird sits down to explore the history of the Hmong in Thailand with the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT), presenting new research about its transnational, transcultural and transformative effect on gender relations.
Join us as we explore the contours of agrarian transformation and peasant resistance in contemporary Indonesia, especially after democratization (1998 and onward), focusing on two case studies of local struggles against land dispossession: Bulukumba District (South Sulawesi Province) and North Bengkulu (Bengkulu Province).
In this special "Teaching Southeast Asia" episode, we hear from Cambodia expert Judy Ledgerwood and she walks us through how to teach Genocide and the Khmer Rouge in your classrooms. If you'd like to follow along with her lesson materials, go to this website http://www.niu.edu/cseas/resources/educators.shtml and click on the link for "Teaching about the Khmer Rouge" under "Lesson Plans and Curriculum"
Today we join scholar of religion Alicia Turner and explore Genealogies of Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in Burma
Today we join scholar of religion Alicia Turner and explore Genealogies of Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in Burma
Join us as we welcome Lisa Brooten and examine Facebook, Leapfrogging, and the Dark Side in Myanmar
In this episode we sit down with anthropologist Nam Kim and discuss the Underpinnings of Ancient Vietnam
Today we sit down with Tomoyuki Shibata and Jim Wilson and discuss sustainable development goals in Myanmar
Today Eric Jones sits down with Aarie Glas, Alice Ba and John Brandon as they share insights from the ASEAN@50 conference
Join me as we sit down with Claire Chu and Layla Mustapha to discuss the preservation of refugee cultural heritage
Clara Chu is the director of the Morten Center for international library programs at the university of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Laila Mustafa is the Middle East and North Africa and librarian at the university of Illinois at Urbanna-Champaign
Today we sit down with Kanjana Thepboriruk and we discuss her historical research: Mandating Modernity and the New Thai Womanhood
In this episode, we sit down with Bradley Camp Davis and talk about his impressive new book, Imperial Bandits: Outlaws and Rebels in the China-Vietnam Borderlands
Richard Cooler, Catherine Raymond and Eric Jones sit down with archaeologist Alison Carter and we look beyond the temples to exciting new archaeology that may help rewrite the history of on of the works great civilizations: Angkor
A comprehensive archaeological map of the world's largest preindustrial settlement complex at Angkor, Cambodia: http://www.pnas.org/content/104/36/14277.abstract Uncovering archaeological landscapes at Angkor using lidar: http://www.pnas.org/content/110/31/12595.full Airborne laser scanning as a method for exploring long-term socio-ecological dynamics in Cambodia: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440316300644
Also the Angkor Lidar webpage with some additional info: http://angkorlidar.org/ Alison's blog can be found here: https://alisonincambodia.wordpress.com/
Want to join an Angkor archaeological expedition? http://earthwatch.org/
Thailand, Thainess and the State of Thai Studies w/Ora-orn Poocharoen and Tanachai Mark Padoongpatt by Dr. Eric Jones
A special double edition of the podcast. The first is a roundtable discussion on the history of the CIA in Southeast Asia and the second is a look at current events involving the Central Intelligence Agency.
In this episode, Dr. Eric Jones sits down with , outspoken Burmese activist and poet KoKo Thett
In this special fusion-music episode, Kanjana and I are joined in studio by Thai music director Chamni Sripraram and steel drum composer Yuko Asada. Together we learn about the process of fusing these dynamic and diverse music traditions. After our conversation, stay tuned to hear the world premiere performance of Ponglang music for steel pan
In this episode, Kenton Clymer and I talk to Jovan Čavoški and we explore some of the fascinating Cold War connections between Tito's Yugoslavia and Burma.
In this episode, I sit down with Cambodia and US Foreign Relations expert Dr. Matt Jagel as we do a deep dive into his groundbreaking research on Cambodian Nationalist Son Ngoc Thanh and a shallow plunge into the world of Southeast Asian beers.
In this episode we sit down with Maitrii Aung-Thwin, Kallen Terry and Sally Bamford to discuss the Return of the Galon King and to explore how we know what we know in Southeast Asian studies
In this special episode we sit down with musicians and musicologists Naomi Gingold, Heather MacLachlan, Gavin Douglas and Michael McSweeney to explore a broad spectrum of music in Burma.
Eric Jones and Kanjana sit down with Tani Sebro, assistant professor of Diaspora Studies, Human Rights, and Transnational Migration in the Department of Global and Intercultural Studies at Miami University, Ohio. We’ll hear about her interesting work along the Thai-Burma border and explore what it means to horizontalize one’s research. Find out more about her work at www.tanisebro.com.
Special thanks to David Starfire for this episode's music, check it out at www.davidstarfire.com
With us today is Laura Elder, assistant professor of global studies at St Marys College, Notre Dame. Together we discuss the hot trend that is Islamic finance and hear about the role gender plays in this influential institution. Southeast Asia crossroads would like to thank Michael McSweeney for production assistance and Troubadour 77 for today’s music. Hear more from them at troubadour77.com
Eric Jones and Hao Phan talk to Hai-Dang Phan, writer, poet and professor of English at Grinnell. Join us as we hear some of his award winning poetry and talk about the way memory factors into his work. Hai-Dang Phan is the author of the chapbook Small Wars (Convulsive Editions, 2016). His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The New Yorker, POETRY Magazine, Best American Poetry 2016, jubilat, New England Review, and elsewhere.
Crossroads host Eric Jones sits down with Dave Eaton and Matt Drwenski from On Top of the World, a World History podcast to talk about how to work Southeast Asia into a global curriculum. Check it out at http://www.ontopoftheworldhistory.com
Join Eric Jones and Kanjana Thepboriruk as they sit down with Philippe Peycam, Director of the International Institute of Asian Studies in Leiden, Netherlands and discuss the fortunes and futures of the study of Asia
For more info about the IIAS - http://iias.asia
Historian of Thailand, Shane Strate sits down with Eric Jones, Kanjana Thepboriruk and Krista Albers and unpacks his book The Lost Territories: Thailand’s History of National Humiliation
Join me, your host Eric Jones as I sit down with Catherine Raymond and Carmin Berchiolly to talk about reverse glass painting in Burma and find out more about the Center for Burma Studies
Listen in with Asia scholar and theoretic innovator Duncan McCargo as we unpack the heroic cuplets of Network Monarchy and Urbanized Villages and examine the legitimacy crisis in Southern Thailand