living
INDONESIAN CONTRIBUTIONS
Written by: Susanne Rothschild, MBA, PMP | President, The Rothschild Corporation
This article focuses on a few of Indonesian American’s contributions
to our lifestyle, business, and culture. For example, did you know?
• Regions in the US with significant Indonesian American populations include Southern California, New
York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., Seattle metropolitan areas; San Francisco bay area, Los An-
geles, Overland Park; and Greater Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso.
• Indonesian international students came to the US beginning in the 1950s to pursue a higher education at
the University of California, Berkeley.
1. What are some of the Indonesian contributions to business?
Indonesian products have integrated into the American marketplace. Following are highlights. (Refer to
https://www.embassyofindonesia.org/index.php/top-sectors-trade/ for more information.)
• Indonesia is a key US supplier for superior quality seafood, coffee, tea, cocoa, coconut, and spices such as
cinammon and vanilla beans.
• Shrimp, tuna, and tilapia are the top three products imported seafood imported to the US in frozen form.
• Single-origin coffee – Sumatra, Bali, Papua, Toraja and Java – are in demand in the coffee market; and the
exotic taste of its Luwak coffee commands extra-premium prices.
• Indonesia is the sixth larger producest of tea worldwide with black tea and green tea leading in its world-
wide exports.
• Indonesian furniture has a rich history and the US imports its unique furniture made from rattan, bamboo,
26 iF Magazine | May 2018