Challenging misconceptions about Central Asia

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Sayat has gone viral for sharing Kazakh culture with the world. "People ask me if I'm Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese...East Asian countries aren't the only Asian countries guys!," he exclaims to his TikTok followers. He's had millions of views on his videos and wants to change the way people think about Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, pointing out the 2006 comedy mockumentary Borat skewed perceptions of Kazakh culture. We bring together Sayat and his friend Sev, who is from Uzebkistan, on their hopes to change the way people think about Central Asia. Photo shows Sayat. Credit: Sayat Nokerban