This week I talked to Frank Wang, who is from Liuzhou, China. We spoke about the ways in which his life has changed since he has been in the United States and the ways in which the cultures are different. He grew up with very strict parents and stated the strictness he was exposed to at home and at school. This strictness is a normal experience in China. An important social norm is respecting your elders, so Frank said that he had no choice but to follow their ways of life. Kids in China dress the same have kids here in the US. Frank’s hometown of Liuzhou is famous for making beef noodles, which is his favorite dish. He also mentioned how he participates in the famous tradition of swimming in the Liu River with his friends.
Swimmers perform dragon dance on Liu river.
Luosifen is Chinese snail noodle dish and a speciality of the city of Liuzhou.
Two of the main holidays that he loves are Spring Festival and Middle Fall. The most important festival for the Chinese people is the Spring Festival in which families come together, similarly to Christmas in the here in the United States. Middle Fall, or Moon Cake Day, is a harvest festival which is named based on the movement of the moon. The moon has a close relationship with changes of the seasons and agricultural production, so people come together to eat moon cake and celebrate another year of harvesting. The mooncake is the special food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. On Moon Cake Day, people sacrifice mooncakes to the moon as an offering and also eat them for celebration. Mooncakes come in various flavors that are dependent on the region. The mooncakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of mooncakes under the round moon can evoke a longing for distant relatives and friends. Nowadays, people present mooncakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life.
Moon cake is an important food in Chinese culture.
In contrast, my experience growing up in Puerto Rico with tolerant parents instead of Frank’s strict parents. I respected my elders but didn’t have the strong explicit cultural expectation to show respect to elders. The two of my favorite holidays in Puerto Rico are Three Kings Day and The San Sebastian Street Festival. The Three Kings of the Epiphany are the guy who followed the star to Bethlehem, to offer the baby Jesus presents of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. On the Eve of Three Kings Day Puerto Rican children participate in the traditional cutting grass to put in a shoe box under their bed for the camels to eat and they write a wish list to the three kings for presents like kids do with Santa Claus. This holiday is more important than Christmas for the island because of its long history and cultural importance for the community. The holiday also features large family gatherings with traditional foods such as lechón (roasted pig), pastels, tembleque, and many others. The San Sebastian Street Festival in Old San Juan is a four-day celebration that has become the traditional closing of the Christmas season for most Puerto Ricans. The event showcases the rich Puerto Rican cultural heritage including live music such as salsa and reggaeton, art displays, craft kiosks. Most participants crowd the streets in the historic plazas talking to friends and drinking until the early hours of the morning. In both cultures, the holidays focus on family gatherings and celebrating history and traditions. Food is a unifying factor between cultures and something both Frank and me were proud to talk about because it is another way to represent our culture.
The Three Kings are Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar and brought gifts to baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
Lechón is my favorite Christmas food!
El Gran Combo De Puerto Rico is the most famous salsa group from Puerto Rico.
During the San Sebastian, the party is in the streets and the festival is to celebrate the rich culture of Puerto Rico.
I really like how you talked about how food is something that unifies everyone and something we all can enjoy regardless of our cultural background. Food really serves as a doorway into culture but also as a bridge to learn about other cultures. Also food generally tastes pretty good so that is always a plus.
I love the use of the video! Not many other blogs are doing that. Really interesting topic and I’m glad you’re again doing something unique like last semester. Talking about the experiences of ethnic cultures in the US is something we need right now.
As a self made foodie, I enjoyed reading about the moon cakes and noodle dishes. I think its very interesting how you didnt just focus on food or a different aspect of the culture but instead dived into various aspects. It allowed me to see the entirety of the culture.