My husband grew up in New Mexico, one of the 50 American states. Chilli is prevalent there and was first used by the Native American tribes. They in turn introduced chilli to the Spanish conquistadors who then brought chilli back to Europe and subsequently all the other lands they conquered, including Asia.
The fresh long and bright red chillies we refer to as red chillies are also called Holland chillies. This particular type had been developed in Holland so that the Dutch could replicate their favourite Indonesian dishes back in their homeland, far away from their previous colonies. Indeed, Holland is reputed to have some of the best Indonesian restaurants in the world.