ASIAN culture could have something to do with curbing creativity. And it could be why geniuses, born here, flock to the Land of Liberty to prosper.

Gallup CEO Jim Clifton thinks so.

The polling firm chief is the architect of the Gallup World Poll which attempts to comprehend the minds of some 6 billion people around the world through its polls.

Gallup’s World Poll, in 2007, showed that people care most about jobs - this is vastly different from their needs about 25 years ago when it was food, clothes etc.

Their ability to gain one shapes their impressions of the place where they live and where they will go.

In a phone interview from Washington he said some of the stars of innovation and creativity now in the United States may return to Asia.

Among them will be those from the region seeking new challenges, those who give in to the emotional tugs and others who genuinely want to contribute to their homeland.

But the “Superstars” will remain in San Francisco.

And the newer geniuses will head to the Silicon Valley though some perhaps will go to London.

“You can’t afford to fail in Asia,” he said.

Asians don’t forgive. Asians don’t forget.

Is it so? Can innovation, that something special that results from a fusion of ideas and energy and can transform lives not thrive in a region said to be the world’s next success story?

Maybe that’s what the westerners think. Maybe the Asians want to be more effective. It is not clear.

But if history is a guide, creativity has thrived in the region in the past.

Silk was discovered here - quite by accident though. According to Chinese legend it all started with a silkworm cocoon fell into a cup of hot tea meant for Empress Lei Tsu.

As she fished out the cocoon from the teacup she found it unraveling into long, smooth strings. It is not clear what she did with it but Chinese farmers were cultivating silkworms for silk by 3,200 BC.

There was ink, the magnetic compass, the gunpower and arithmetic - Indians gave the world its “zero”.

In the modern era, Japan has given the world Playstation game consoles.

And Singapore, the Sound Blaster card for personal computers, which enables users to manipulate sound.

Perhaps, the pace of new inventions and innovations from this part of the world has slowed in recent times - and this could be behind criticism that the region doesn’t encourage creativity.

At the same time some geniuses of Asian origin have been making waves in the United States.

According to Mr Clifton, of the 1,000 geniuses responsible for America’s several trillion growth as many as 600 could be from this part of the world.

Among them is Jerry Yang, a native of Taiwan, who created Yahoo! have thrived in Asia. Yahoo! is today one of the world’s most frequently visited web sites with over 230 million surfers.

And Sabeer Bhatia, who hails from Punjab, in India, who created Hotmail - the web based email - that was bought over by Microsoft for US $400 million.

Would they have been success stories, if they remained in this region?  How do you tell?

But now attempts to replicate the Silicon Valley success story are continuing in several promising cities of this region.

Maybe the next generation’s Jerry Yang will emerge from this part of the world.

Besides it may not just be culture that has encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States.

A recent article in the Economist points to the role of venture capital, which ensures relatively easier funding options and close links between universities and industry.

It says Stanford University has been so keen on promoting entrepreneurship that it has created a monopoly-like game to teach its professors how to become entrepreneurs. And about half of the start-ups in the Valley have their roots in the university.

Among other reasons, it lists America’s openness to immigrants. It could be reason why nearly one million are still waiting to become its permanent residents while the queues for work visas remains endless.

Maybe Asia can change that situation? Does it have the potential? And are we willing to encourage creativity?

What do you say?

Read Shefali Rekhi's Saturday Special Report in The Straits Times today.