With a diverse campus such as San José State, there's a multitude of cultures that surround student life, and with that comes an appreciation for cultural food and its meaning to those who cherish it.
On Wednesday, the Center for Asian Pacific Islander Student Empowerment held an event discussing the symbolic significance of foods that are related to Asian American culture, such as sushi, ramen and boba, according to the event webpage.
The event, Boba Talks: Conversations on Asian American Identity, focused on the negative and positive effects on the community, according to the same webpage.
Kunaal Gautam, a first-year business administration student, explained why being aware of different food cultures is important.’
“It lets you expand your culture to more people,” Gautam said. “It lets you experience more flavors. You can also share stories and exchange with someone (who) has a similar experience with a different type of culture.”
At its root, the diversity of food cultures is in understanding the connection people have to that culture and how it is used as a tool to connect and socialize, according to a Feb. 18 Insight Vacations article.
For some students, part of creating a connection is building positive memories.
“My favorite cultural food is shahi paneer,” Gautam said. “It's from India, and I say it's my favorite because my mom has been making it my whole life.”
He said it’s a comfort food and whenever he is feeling down, he gets a sense of happiness and closeness to his family when he consumes the dish.
Beyond building connections with people from that culture, the different food also broadens flavor palates, according to My Viva Plan Webpage.
“Lowkey, right now (it) is Greek food,” Balamurugan said. “I like to explore different cultures, so Greek is the one I've been trying out lately. It's lamb, specifically lamb with tzatziki sauce.”
With San José having a diverse student body, the SJSU MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center observes the heritage of several student populations throughout the year, such as Lotería Night during Hispanic Heritage Month or Beading Circle during Native American & Indigenous Month, according to the 2024 SJSU events calendar.
For April, SJSU observes Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Southwest Asian & North African Heritage Month, according to the cultural center's page.
Javier Castro, a third-year business management student, said that observing these heritage months is vital for the student body at SJSU.
“I think we are lucky at SJSU and even the Bay (Area) in general to have first-hand experience with so many cultures,” Castro said. “It builds a community and helps uplift these cultures that sometimes might feel left out.”
Today, there will be a SWANA Dialogues event centered on belonging and campus climate, according to a SJSU MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center Facebook post.
“Part of continuing uplifting cultures that may feel left out is making sure that there isn't a general categorization of heritage and I'm glad that there are events that are catered to,” Castro said.
