I grew up in a community filled with Chinese and Hispanic cultures. When I first moved to New York from China, I was grateful for the predominantly Chinese community that I lived in. Despite finally being in America, I was surrounded by Chinese everywhere I went, from the supermarkets where I begged my aunt for snacks to the restaurants and bakeries I passed by every day. Even in school, I became friends with peers in my ESL (English as a Second Language) class because of our shared native language. As a result, I had only noticed the Chinese culture around me for most of my early years in New York, since that was all I could understand. Ever since I was a kid, I was reluctant to try new things, probably due to my family’s habit of eating the same type of food when we go out, whether it be pho or Fuzhounese cuisine.
As I learned more English and began to explore outside my comfort zone, my world slowly opened up to the diverse cultures that New York is so well known for. The first time that I was eager to try something from a different culture was when I got into Korean dramas due to the influence of my friends. After seeing the spicy rice cakes and kimbap on the screen, I was determined to try them. This is the second point in my life where I was grateful for the city I lived in. There were so many different types of food New York had to offer, and all I had to do when I wanted to eat Korean food was to go to Korea Town. Additionally, the friends I made at school also passionately introduced me to new kinds of food, consequently, I quickly fell in love with various cuisines such as Indian, Thai, and Halal. Throughout my food exploration journey, I realized that the best way for me to be introduced to a culture is through my stomach.
If you would like to explore and connect with the city you live in, you should visit Scavenger Hunts by Let's Roam for fun ways to discover more about your local communities.
