This presentation was created by Renton Prep Students to share about their heritage and teach others about their family's culture. They audio recorded the presentation as they were presenting to the school, and captured audio in each slide. The end shows how our school continues to celebrate cultures at school, visiting schools, and inviting education leaders from Asia to our school.

2. ASIAAsia is the largest continent in the world. Asians account for nearly 60% of the world’s
population with 4.427 billion people populating Asia, with about 300 ethnic groups.
These include groups coming from North Asia (Mongolia, Russia, etc.), West Asia
(Turkey, Syria, Uzbekistan, etc.), South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal), East Asia
(China, Korea, Japan), and Southeast Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Laos).
PACIFIC ISLANDS
The Pacific Islands is a region comprising of about 20-30,000 islands in the Pacific
Ocean. These islands consist of New Guinea, Hawaii, Fiji Islands, the Marianas
Islands, and more. At times, the Philippines is arguable considered part of the Pacific
Islands. Like Asia, there are a multitude of ethnic groups in the Pacific Islands.

3. LAOS
Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast
Asia. It’s bordered by Burma, Cambodia,
China, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its capital
is Vientiane. Laos’ main religion is
Buddhism.
Present day Laotian culture traces its
roots back to Lan Xang Hom Khao, a Lao
kingdom that lasted from 1354 to 1707.
This kingdom was also one of the largest
and longest lasting kingdoms in Southeast
Asia.

4. From 1898 to 1953, Laos was colonized by
France, along with the rest of the Indochina
Peninsula. In 1945, Japan seized control from
France and declared Laos to be independent.
Control reverted back to France later on. But
on December 24, 1954, Laos gained
independence from France.
From 1953-1975, communism started to come
into Laos. Their goal was to take over and rule
Laos by attacking those close to the king.
However, on December 2, 1975, the king was to
abdicate his throne and the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic was established.

6. THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines, officially known as
Republika ng Pilipinas, is an island
country in Southeast Asia. Its capital
is Manila. The Philippines is a secular
state, but its major religion is
Christianity (Roman Catholicism in
particular).
As a result of its long history, Filipino
culture is a blend of Indian, Arabian,
Spanish, Chinese, and American
culture, as well as the Philippines’
own indigenous culture.

7. HISTORY
In the very early history of the Philippines, many tribes and
groups from different islands developed and became
hunter-gatherer societies. Pre-colonial Philippines had a
long history of trade with China, Japan, Indonesia, and
many other countries. European colonization of the
Philippines began in 1565, with the first European
settlements in Cebu. Spanish/European colonization would
continue for the next 300 years, until 1898, when the
United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War
and acquired all of Spain’s Pacific colonies, which included
the Philippines.
On July 4, 1946, the United States and the Philippines
signed a Treaty of General Relations which recognized the
independence of the Philippines, which relinquished
American sovereignty over the Philippines. Filipinos also
recognized July 12 as the Filipino independence day from
Spain.

8. There are a multitude of ethnic groups
within the Philippines. These ethnic
groups are very diverse due to location,
language, resources, outside influences,
etc.
The main ethnic groups of the
Philippines are Visayans (Cebuano,
Aklanon, Waray, etc.) and Tagalog
people. Minor Filipino ethnic groups
include Ilocano people, Pangasinan
people, Bikol people, Zamboangueño
people, and more.
Top Image Sinulog Festival of Cebu (Visayan) Second Image
Pangasinan People Bottom Image 1958 in the Philippines

9. The Philippines is one of the only predominantly Catholic countries in Asia, the other being
East Timor. Religion is one of the most important parts of the Filipino identity. Some of the
other virtues that make up the Filipino identity include respect, family orientation,
hospitality, and hard work.
Filipino cuisine is one of the most prominent points in the identity of the Philippines. Like
its culture, Filipino cuisine is influenced by Spanish cuisine, Asian cuisine, indigenous
cuisine, Pacific Islander cuisine, American cuisine, etc. Filipino meals usually consist of
kanin (rice), ulam (main dish), and vegetables. Popular Filipino dishes include pancit,
adobo, lumpia, and dinuguan. Popular snacks and desserts include chicharon, halo-halo,
puto, bibingka, polvoron, ensaymada, and more.

10. VIETNAM
Vietnam is a country in Southeast
Asia. It is bordered by China, Laos,
Cambodia, and Malaysia. Its capital
is Hanoi. Major religions in Vietnam
include Buddhism and indigenous
religions.

11. The history of Vietnam can be traced back around 4,000 years ago.
Ancient Vietnam was home to some of the world’s earliest civilizations
and societies, which made them the first to have practiced agriculture.
After Chinese rule, the Indochina Peninsula (which includes Burma,
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam) was colonized by the
French in the mid-19th century. Vietnam fought French rule in the First
Indochina War in 1954, and gained independence.
Later, the country split into North Vietnam and South Vietnam. In 1975,
South Vietnam had surrendered to North Vietnam, this event was called
the Fall of Saigon. This occurred when its capital was taken over the
People’s Army of Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam War and was then
unified under a communist government.
HISTORY

12. Vietnam has been heavily influenced by
the Chinese culture due to the 1,000 years
of Chinese rule. The dress worn at a
traditional Vietnamese wedding is called,
Áo dài and is typically red or pink for
woman and blue for men. It consists of
two pieces, the dress and pants, which is
worn underneath.
On New Years, traditionally individuals
would wear a brand new outfit on this day,
yet this is not done a whole lot now. It is
also known on this day that red envelopes,
called Li Xi would be distributed to
children containing money and families
would play the gamble game, Bầu cua cá
cọp.

13. CHINA
China, officially recognized as the
People’s Republic of China, is a
country in East Asia. It is the
world’s most populated country
with a population of about 1.381
billion. Its capital is Beijing. Many
Chinese people follow Taoism,
Christianity, Confucianism, or
other religions. China is the
world’s second largest country by
land area and third/fourth largest
by total area.

14. China has a very long and rich history. There isn’t an official
establishment date of the country, but its history can be traced back to
before 1500 B.C. Ancient China was one of the first civilizations and was
one of the few to invent writing. China had a large influence on other
countries, such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Later on, China began to
trade more with other countries, especially European countries.

15. In 1911, Japan invaded Manchuria,
an area in Northeastern China,
which eventually lead to World War
II, where millions of Chinese people
were killed. The Chinese Civil War
took place from 1927 to 1950
between the Chinese Communist
Part (CCP) and the National
Kuomintang (KMT). The war was
sparked over whether China should
stay in its current governmental
state or become more like the
Soviet Union. CCP won the war and
Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s
Republic of China on October 1,
Mao Zedong proclaiming the establishment of the
People’s Republic of China in 1949.

16. China is a very large country,
which means it contains many
diverse ethnic groups. There are
56 official ethnic groups
recognized by the government.
The largest are the Han Chinese,
which account for nearly 91% of
the Chinese population. Minor
Chinese ethnic groups include
Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uyghur,
Miao, and more.

17. Chinese food and styles originate from different regions of China.
Over time, techniques and ingredients from other parts of the
world have been integrated into Chinese cuisine. The Eight
Culinary Cuisines of China are Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan,
Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang cuisines. Staple foods
of Chinese cuisine are rice, noodles, vegetables, sauces, and
seasonings.

18. THAILAND
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of
Thailand, is a country at the center of
the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast
Asia. Its bordered by Myanmar,
Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. Its capital
is Bangkok. The main religion of Thailand
is Buddhism.
Other than Thai people (Central Thai,
Northeastern Thai, Northern Thai, etc.)
Thailand recognizes other ethnic groups.
These include Thai Chinese people,
Malay people, Mon people, Khmer
people, and other Hill tribes.

19. Thai people first began settling in
present-day Thailand around the 6th
century, and by the end of the 13th
century ruled most of the western
portion. During the next 400 years,
they fought sporadically with the
Cambodians to the east and the
Burmese to the west. At the outbreak
of World War II, Japanese forces
attacked Thailand. After five hours of
resistance, Thailand yielded to Japan
on Dec. 8, 1941, subsequently
becoming a staging area for the
Japanese campaign against Malaya. By
the late 1960s the nation's problems
largely stemmed from conflicts brewing King Chulalongkorn (Reign lasted from 1868 to
1910)

20. Thai culture is greatly influenced by Indian culture, Chinese, culture, Cambodian
culture, as well as the rest of Southeast Asia. Buddhism also influences Thai culture.
Traditional Thai clothing is called chut thai (or Thai outfit) and is usually worn by
men, women, and children. The chut thai may vary depending on regions. Thai
cuisine is another important aspect of Thai culture. Balance, detail, and variety are
very important in Thai cuisine. Well-known Thai dishes include Som Tum (spicy green
papaya salad), Tom Yum Goong (spicy shrimp soup), Pad Thai (Thai style noodles),
and more.

21. INDIA
India, officially the Republic of India or
Bharat, is a country/subcontinent located
in South Asia. It is the second most
populated country in the world, with a
population of over 1.2 billion people. It is
bordered by Pakistan, China, Nepal,
Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Its
capital is New Delhi while its largest city
is Mumbai. The largest religion is
Hinduism. The official languages of India
are Hindi and Punjabi, while 21 other
languages are recognized.

22. The history of India is very rich and expansive. One of the early civilizations of India
was the early Indus Valley Civilization, which is now located in modern-day India and
Pakistan. Civilization evolved with the Vedas, the oldest teachings of India. There are
four Vedas and the first is the Rigveda, which casued civilizations to become more
agricultural. The caste system also started around this time. Around the 15th century,
India was colonized by Western nations. The British East India Company was one of the
top trading empires in India and eventually began to conquer the entire subcontinent
of India. British colonization of India continued until August 15, 1947. On that day,
Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan gained independence and became their own
countries.

23. In India, there are two main
regions (North and South
India). Both North and South
India are very different, in
language, religion, cuisine,
clothing and so on. India also
has a lot of festive celebrations
which include Independence
Day, Holi, and Christmas. They
celebrate with food, dance,
song and much more.

24. Indian cuisine is a blend of a variety of regional and traditional Indian
cuisines. Indian food is also influenced by religious and cultural
decisions. Staples of Indian cuisine include rice, lentils, pearl millet, and
more. Chapati, which is unleavened flatbread, is common in Indian
cuisine. There are a lot of spices and curries in Indian cooking.

25. SAMOA Samoa, formerly called Western
Samoa, is famed for its natural
beauty and friendly people.
Samoa is an independent nation
comprising the westernmost group
of the Samoan Islands, in
Polynesia. Many of its islands have
reef-bordered beaches and
rugged, rain forests interiors with
gorges and waterfalls.
The islands include Upolu, home
to most of Samoa's population,
and Savai'i, one of the largest
islands in the South Pacific.

26. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. There are 3 main parts in the Samoan culture,
that is faith, family and music. Both men and women can be tattooed (tatau). A man's tattoo is called a pe'a
while a woman's tattoo is called a malu.
Women play an important part in contributing with their skills in items of important cultural value
including 'ie toga, finely woven mats used in ceremony and gift exchanges. In terms of material goods, during
ritual exchange, women give fine mats 'ie toga and decorated bark cloth siapo while men give woodworking
items and red feathers.
The traditional Samoan dance is the siva. The female siva is with gentle movements of the hands and
feet in time to music. The sasa is a group dance performed sitting to a drum rhythm. Samoan males
traditionally perform the fa'ataupati (slap dance), usually performed in a group with no music accompaniment.

27. Asia and the Pacific Islands are a very large and diverse region
with countless amounts of unique individuals of different
ethnicities, religions, culture, languages, etc. But despite
differences, many of us hold the same core values and virtues.

28. Renton Prep continues celebrating through the years by
being invited to important community events ● celebrating Lunar New Year ● bringing in guest speakers ●
inviting Ministries of Education from Asia ● visiting schools in Asia ● building partnerships and connections

31. We’ve had visits from Global Delegates and Ministries of Education from
China, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, Vietnam

32. Our leadership team has visited schools in Japan, Singapore, and China