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Indonesia is the world's fourth largest country, but to most people, it is a complete mystery. Of other large Asian countries, there's at least some awareness of their cultures in the collective popular imagination of the West. Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Thai restaurants can readily be found in most urban areas and the spread of these cuisines has been very successful. Japan has been very successful in exporting its electronics, its corporations, its entertainment media, and its arts. The thought of any of these countries conjures up clear images in the minds of most people (albeit stereotypical for some), but I don't think this is so for Indonesia. Many people in the West have heard of Bali as an exotic vacation destination, but I'd bet that most of them could not place it as an island belonging to Indonesia.

I notice that quite a few Indonesian ideas have permeated our culture without maintaining any overt link to its origin. I work in a fabric store with an entire section devoted to batik prints, based on techniques and designs originating from Javanese civilization, but most people simply identify it as "colorful" and "tie-dye" without any cultural affiliation (despite the name, the etymology of which most do not seem to know). Many vegetarians and vegans have been incorporating tempeh into their diets, but a quick google search of tempeh-based recipes will be hard-pressed to find any traditional Indonesian ones. The condiment sambal oolek has become more prevalent on supermarket shelves (though not quite as much as sriracha). The names of Java and Sumatra are synonymous with coffee. Music of the gamelan has inspired many Western musicians since the time of Claude Debussy in the late 19th Century.

What would it take to get a more consistent, more cohesive spread of Indonesian culture around the world? I'm guessing a larger Indonesian diaspora would be a good start, but when would this be most probable? Would altering modern Indonesian history (for example, getting rid of Sukarno or Suharto) help to establish a more stable, more powerful, and thus more influential Indonesia?
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