I spent quite a lot of time in the United States during 1985 and 1986. The Fulbright program made the whole trip possible. The first portion of my stay was at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washingon. Fulbright funds to make the trip over. During my Washington stay I had an office in one of the most historic of the Smithsonian buildings where I wrote each day. I finished writing the first two chapters — the most highly theoretical ones — of a book on the problems of ethnic diversity and national unity.

I had already compiled my research on the situation in Indonesia. And I was planning to write additional sections on India and Belgium. But in Washington I came into contact with emigrants from Yugoslavia and became so interested in the situation there that I incorporated that country into my study as well. I later completed that book back home in Indonesia.

After Washington, I went to the University of California at Berkeley for a five-month academic term. There I did all the writing for a textbook on the theoretical underpinning of anthropology. This period at Berkeley was the period actually covered by my Fulbright grant.

Of course, I wasn’t researching American history or society during my stay there. My writing concerned other societies. But the period I had in the United States did give me valuable time for reflection and concentrated work. It also provided me with the stimulation of others in my own field and related areas. You know, it’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of this sort of opportunity for a scholar and writer.