@america in Indonesia: Changing Perceptions?

I came across this article this week when looking for an interesting topic to blog about. This article from the New York Times discusses the new American cultural center that just opened in Jakarta, Indonesia. The center called, @america, is in a mall and has many interactive and high-tech displays about American culture and history. In my opinion this is a great way to educate people about the U.S. and show them a positive representation of who we are as a nation. The number of cultural centers has been on the decline since the 1970s, as guest speaker John Brown mentioned. This is a step in the right direction and to show the people of Indonesia what America is.

Alternatively, the article presents some criticism of the center. One complaint about the center is that there is heavy security that one must go through to gain access to the center, which sends out a strange image to Indonesians and makes it seem like the U.S. does not trust them. This is always the fine line that U.S. PD has to walk between safety and a positive message with no contradicting actions, “The tension in American public diplomacy — the desire to reach out versus the fear of becoming a target — was evident in @america’s entrance: located in a discreet corner of the third floor, it offered no spot to peek into what lies inside.” As the quote from the article states, the U.S. really does want to reach out to the public but the sad reality of the world we live in makes it necessary to pass through body scans and metal detectors, which is something that PD has been struggling with. Safety cannot be forfeited completely, but this has not sat well with some Indonesians who have gone to the center. Despite the positive message within the center, it has not made them change their opinion nor has it made them less skeptical of the U.S. The center has sparked to urge to travel to the U.S., which is one of the center’s goals.

I think the center will have a positive impact on U.S. opinion in Indonesia, but that reaction will not be instant. As the article said, “…Mr. Marciel said, adding: “I think it can help, but the fact is, a lot of Indonesians are still a little bit skeptical of the United States, and that’s built up over many years. And our challenge is to steadily chip away at that.” That is exactly what the U.S. needs to do, slowly chip away at the skepticism to make way for a new positive opinion. Overall, I think this is a step in the right direction for our PD.

Article Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/world/asia/06indonesia.html