Meeting in Mr Peters, CTE, room after school on November 28 the Asian American Culture club members got into separate groups to each make their own servings of fried rice. Cooking the Chinese meal on their own helped the students better understand the culture for a number of reasons
“I learned that different cultures in Asia make fried rice differently and that there may be similar dishes in different cultures, but everyone has their own kick,” Zaynah Khaja (11) said.
Although making the fried rice was the main activity of the meeting, there was more to it than just cooking.The purpose of the club is to appreciate and experience different Asian cultures through being able to connect and communicate with a diverse group of people the members may have not have had the chance of meeting otherwise.
“It was important to come together with friends and connect with others by simply making a meal. There were a handful of people there that I did not know, so it was cool to connect with them by making fried rice,” Kristen Branch (12) said.
Surrounding yourself with other students, who can relate to each other, creates a welcoming environment, making it easier for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. This can often lead to meaningful conversations and memories.
“I’m with people who share the same values as me, so we naturally work well together. It also makes it easier to talk to them when we have discussions about social justice issues or cultures since I would feel more comfortable with them. In better words it was kind of an icebreaker,” Branch said.
The members of the Asian American Culture club have made a small, yet growing community for themselves with pastimes such as serious conversations or spontaneous activities during the meetings.
“We had a mock competition. When we started, the president of the club told everyone to have some leftover to plate and present to judge. At the end, she went around tasting and scoring it,” Rebeca Salazar (12) said.
