2021 BAAFN Activist Award
Tina Li - click on picture to access recording of event reading
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A Piece of Durian Puff
by Tina Li
"No one wants to sit with me during lunch because of my 'smelly' durian puff," I confessed to my parents, opening up about the hurt festering inside me. My family and I have just immigrated to the United States from China, and I started 6th grade at Pierce without speaking much English. Every day, I’d have the large circular table all to myself, only accompanied by a crispy, buttery, sweet durian puff, notorious for its pungent smell. Meanwhile, I could hear other people joking about how they would know what "this weird new Asian girl" ate from miles away and that "only Asians would eat such stinky things".
Expecting a warm hug from my mom, I was surprised by her indifferent comment, "They just never tried it before, Tina." Seeing my bewildered face, she went on explaining that although we immigrated to the United States for freedom and opportunities, the US wasn't a perfect society either. As an immigrant with foreign accent and a person of color, xenophobia and discrimination were inevitable. What I could do, however, was to start raising awareness of my culture.
Encouraged by my parents, I turned my situation around by inviting other international students with their traditional lunches to come sit with me. Although only a few came at first, our "Durian Table" quickly became filled with cuisines from all around the world. Instead of the banal PB&Js, we had Mexican chili with picante aroma, adorable animal-shaped onigiris in Japanese bentos, and of course, my favorite durian puff. Everyone here put down their prejudice and try each other's lunches to get a taste of their culture. Even some of my fellow white classmates joined as allies, intrigued to find themselves falling in love with my "stinky" dessert. In the very place of my humiliation and isolation, ironically, I had created a welcoming atmosphere for all to chat, laugh, and bond candidly.
Through organizing this international lunch table, I came to the realization that what my mom told me was right. Most inadvertent comments made by my well-intentioned white peers were not out of hostility. They were simply unaware of foreign food, traditions, and values. Thus, we Asian Americans can minimize these racial biases by taking pride in our identity and educating others on our fascinating culture.
Although the pandemic stopped my "Durian Table", my mission of using food to unite our divided society continued. I started holding a Covid-friendly bake sale for Brookline Thrives, a volunteer-based organization that provides free weekend meals to any students in need. With its demand nearly quadrupled since last March, people of color in our community were disproportionately affected. After chatting with a new Taiwanese immigrant who expressed the pressure of choosing between paying rent and feeding her 5-years-old daughter, and being thanked by a Japanese single mom for giving her children ready-to-go meals, I was glad that I can use my insignificant force to help our much needed community.
On my bake sale menus, not only were there classic cupcakes and brownies, I also included Hong Kong egg custards, my grandma's special rice puddings, and other traditional Asian desserts I grew up eating. To my surprise, they were widely loved by my majorly white customers, with my durian puff being a crowd favorite. I sold over 700 baked goods and raised over $1000 at the end.
By talking to many of my kindhearted supporters, who were interested in trying these foreign foods while supporting a good cause, I realized that this global pandemic shouldn't be the time for division. Asian Americans shouldn't be blamed for "bringing the virus to the United States''. Elders living in Chinatown shouldn't be afraid to walk down the streets alone, fearing they will be the next victim of hate crimes against Asians. Trump shouldn't be use xenophobic statements, like "China Virus", to exacerbate stigma and discrimination towards Chinese Americans. No one should! Instead, now should be the time for inclusion, unity, and support across racial groups.
Not only is our nation facing the COVID-19 virus, we are also battling with the virus of xenophobia and racism. These two pandemics can only end when all Americans, regardless of race, unite together, starting with trying a piece of my durian puff!
Expecting a warm hug from my mom, I was surprised by her indifferent comment, "They just never tried it before, Tina." Seeing my bewildered face, she went on explaining that although we immigrated to the United States for freedom and opportunities, the US wasn't a perfect society either. As an immigrant with foreign accent and a person of color, xenophobia and discrimination were inevitable. What I could do, however, was to start raising awareness of my culture.
Encouraged by my parents, I turned my situation around by inviting other international students with their traditional lunches to come sit with me. Although only a few came at first, our "Durian Table" quickly became filled with cuisines from all around the world. Instead of the banal PB&Js, we had Mexican chili with picante aroma, adorable animal-shaped onigiris in Japanese bentos, and of course, my favorite durian puff. Everyone here put down their prejudice and try each other's lunches to get a taste of their culture. Even some of my fellow white classmates joined as allies, intrigued to find themselves falling in love with my "stinky" dessert. In the very place of my humiliation and isolation, ironically, I had created a welcoming atmosphere for all to chat, laugh, and bond candidly.
Through organizing this international lunch table, I came to the realization that what my mom told me was right. Most inadvertent comments made by my well-intentioned white peers were not out of hostility. They were simply unaware of foreign food, traditions, and values. Thus, we Asian Americans can minimize these racial biases by taking pride in our identity and educating others on our fascinating culture.
Although the pandemic stopped my "Durian Table", my mission of using food to unite our divided society continued. I started holding a Covid-friendly bake sale for Brookline Thrives, a volunteer-based organization that provides free weekend meals to any students in need. With its demand nearly quadrupled since last March, people of color in our community were disproportionately affected. After chatting with a new Taiwanese immigrant who expressed the pressure of choosing between paying rent and feeding her 5-years-old daughter, and being thanked by a Japanese single mom for giving her children ready-to-go meals, I was glad that I can use my insignificant force to help our much needed community.
On my bake sale menus, not only were there classic cupcakes and brownies, I also included Hong Kong egg custards, my grandma's special rice puddings, and other traditional Asian desserts I grew up eating. To my surprise, they were widely loved by my majorly white customers, with my durian puff being a crowd favorite. I sold over 700 baked goods and raised over $1000 at the end.
By talking to many of my kindhearted supporters, who were interested in trying these foreign foods while supporting a good cause, I realized that this global pandemic shouldn't be the time for division. Asian Americans shouldn't be blamed for "bringing the virus to the United States''. Elders living in Chinatown shouldn't be afraid to walk down the streets alone, fearing they will be the next victim of hate crimes against Asians. Trump shouldn't be use xenophobic statements, like "China Virus", to exacerbate stigma and discrimination towards Chinese Americans. No one should! Instead, now should be the time for inclusion, unity, and support across racial groups.
Not only is our nation facing the COVID-19 virus, we are also battling with the virus of xenophobia and racism. These two pandemics can only end when all Americans, regardless of race, unite together, starting with trying a piece of my durian puff!
