From the Past, for the Future: Defining Southeast Asian Identity at Thailand’s ASEAN Cultural Center

This article explores the regional identity being promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and how it is balanced with existing nationalism in the region. I analyse the ASEAN Cultural Center in Bangkok, Thailand and argue that the centre presents a vision of a collective Southeast Asian identity based on a ‘heroic’ rendering of history and a contemporary urban lifestyle—especially its street food culture. This is termed ‘ASEAN culture’ in an attempt to weave the organization into the cultural fabric of the region. Nation-states remain the most prominent factor in an approach consistent with the model of ‘nested identities’.