On Nov. 19, Sage Hill kicked off the third Sage Center Day of the year with the Asian American Pacific Islander affinity group presentation. More commonly referred to as AAPI, students introduced their idea of “Showing Love Through Food” in their presentation on how food can enrich the connection to their culture. 

Featuring comfort soups, nostalgic rice dishes, and commonly binged snacks, the short video that the AAPI created compiled many of the members’ favorite foods and how they brought their own families closer to each other and their heritage. 

In one clip, senior Ethan White and his family came together to learn how to make their grandmother’s kimchi, a commonly eaten vegetable side dish in Korea. White explained how each recipe was special as kimchi recipes differed with every family, and how his grandmother was the only person who knew how to make their family recipe. 

When asked what food means to her in connection with her culture, senior Hailey Li said, “It’s like a service, my grandma cooks for our family so whenever we cook together it’s how she expresses her love for us.” 

Annalise Miyashiro, associate director of college counseling and advisor to the AAPI affinity group, shared that part of her grandmother’s affection towards her growing up was consistently checking that her grandmother consistently asked, “Have you eaten? Are you eating enough?” Miyashiro described that her grandmother, who had been impaired by blindness, showed her love by taking out her family to dim sum and making sure they were well nourished. Miyashiro shared, “To me, the beautiful thing about food as a love language is that it can connect so many people but also be incredibly personal to each family. While there are cultural traditions we may share, each family may have a certain dish that reminds them of home or a special recipe that is passed down for generations.”

Following the video on food in culture, senior Dory Ding performed the song Fighting With The Hurricane on the Guzheng, an ancient Chinese instrument. Ding said she has been playing the instrument since the age of five, and her performance left the Sage Hill student body in awe after such a beautiful piece. 

The presentation wrapped up with the AAPI affinity group “showing their love” by sharing common Asian snacks such as rice cakes, Hello Panda, and hard Korean candies with Sage Hill students and faculty.