Race as social science hegemony: a note on Southeast Asian populations

Emergence of Southeast Asian populations in Western societies corresponds to hegemony. As per hegemony, race is assumed the universal, governing category of human populations. It is on the basis of this hegemonic conceptual view that the construct of race is challenged by the emergence of alternative human population phenomena. For social scientists who will engage in research specific to Southeast Asian populations, race must be reduced in proportion to its significance in their lives. The utilization of non-racial constructs includes the need to acknowledge culture. The outcome will contribute to the evolution of social science despite the prevalence of race constructs as hegemony vis-à-vis Southeast Asian populations.