Preconcieved notions

It is important to study history because those who do not know history are bound to repeat it. And history is riddled with mistakes I would not like to see repeated. It's important to study Asia because it is a huge, diverse, complicated and interesting continent. Soon there will be more english speaking people in China than anywhere else. We should at the very least understand their history. Asia is far more diverse than many realize, and its only through studying it that we can better understand it. You cant just stare at a map and learn everything you need to know. Likewise for the stereotypes we are exposed to everyday. An education can't be based on stereotypes and generalizations, it has to debunk them.

We need to be aware of our own biases toward the cultures of other countries, because if we just think of things things as "weird"instead of trying to understand why they are the way they are we are depriving ourselves of a better understanding of their culture. You can't just dismiss the beliefs of millions, even billions of people simply because it doesn't fit with what you believe or what you percive to be normal and acceptable.