Despite South Asia's having received the third largest amount of U.S. development assistance since 1945, South Asian attitudes toward U.S. involvement in the region have been deeply colored by regional rivalries and post-colonial fears of foreign domination. Cultural misunderstanding and the complexity of the region's societies and development have further clouded perceptions on both sides. It has been seen as static, closed, and backward. While many Americans have been intrigued by the region's cultures and religions, most have concluded that South Asia is largely irrelevant to the United States. Contrary to prevailing American perceptions, South Asia is a region of opportunity for the United States in both the short and long term .
American businesses can benefit from the region's economic opening and growth.
The U.S. government can expand cooperation with South Asian countries on many issues with relatively little additional effort and resources. American nongovernmental organizations, universities, and think tanks can broaden their agendas and impact through more extensive links with South Asian counterparts. South Asian nations are clearly open to, and even expect, greater involvement of the American public and private sectors in the region. South Asia's importance to the United States must be seen in a broad, long-term perspective. This is a region where the issues likely to dominate international relations in the 21st century come together.