With nine countries represented by 16 different vendors, the Asian Street Market brought various cultures together to enjoy fellowship and food.
Multiple student vendors collaborated to put together the annual Asian Street Market on Sept. 27. The market is an event hosted by the Office of Intercultural Program’s (OIP) Asian Students’ Intercultural Association (ASIA).
The street market style of serving food is popular in regions of Asia, so the student organization sought to bring that style to Taylor.
This year’s market was structured differently than it had been in previous years.
“This year, we’re dividing it up in different regions,” Carol Sundar, co-president of ASIA, said.
The labeling of regions provided clarity to shoppers and accurate representation for the countries. The vendors also chose fun names for their stations, including “Chai Town” and “Snowy Siberia.”
Other new features of this year’s street market were balloon animals and a spicy ramen-eating contest.
The Asian Street Market is a special event for those involved. Vendors prepare food beforehand and enjoy sharing their creations with the Taylor community.
“I would say this year, as well as last year, it’s mainly the cooking that I’ve enjoyed,” Faith Cajee, one of this year’s vendors, said.
This year, Cajee made gajar halwa, a sweet carrot pudding dessert from India. She chose this because it is a popular dish in India, and she wanted to bring a part of her culture to Taylor.
The market is a staple in Taylor’s community and is the largest event put on by ASIA.
“I want to share my culture,” Cajee said. “I feel like a lot of the time South Asian culture isn’t represented, or it’s kind of forgotten.”
It is important to showcase different cultures on campus, and food is a great way to directly experience them.
Food is also a great way to make new connections and strengthen Taylor’s rich community. Vendors such as Cajee enjoy seeing how their food brings people together.
The cabinet of ASIA seeks to glorify God in all that they do on campus, including this year’s market. It can be hard to understand how events such as the market can do this. Esther Hyun, co-president of ASIA along with Sundar, was seeking to understand this as she organized the event.
“I remember a friend told me the Asian Street Market goes beyond just eating food,” Hyun said. “It is a chance to meet new people, understand their culture and just see the beauty of God and how He created everything very differently.”
Hyun appreciates that many events typically viewed as secular, such as the Asian Street Market, can actually be a beautiful opportunity to glorify the Lord.
Cajee hopes the Asian Street Market spreads more awareness about OIP across campus. She wants to encourage students to get involved in the wide variety of events the office has to offer throughout the year.
Cajee also wants students to know that both ASIA and OIP are open to people of all backgrounds.
“When I was here as a freshman, I was very intimidated,” Cajee said. “It [OIP] can be intimidating from the outside, but it’s like, it’s welcome to everyone.”
The cabinet of ASIA looks forward to planning more events for the student body and contributing to Taylor’s rich and vibrant community.
