It’s a repeated anecdote among Asian-Canadians, stories that carry feelings of guilt for not owning the full facet of our cultural identities. We recall childhood memories of throwing away our Asian lunches, the ones our classmates called “weird” or “smelly”, the ones we hid in our school lockers for fear of being teased. It’s a shared experience among the Asian-Canadian community, one that embodies issues of identity and acceptance for those who grew up in the cultural margins of their communities.
I am a second generation Chinese Canadian, born in Scarborough, Ontario, growing up between Scarborough and Markham. English was my second language as I grew up only learning Cantonese through my parents and watching insane amount of TVB dramas.
aikenbacons says:
My parents immigrated from Hong Kong & I was born in Markham, Ontario. We speak Cantonese at home and in my childhood I remember going out for dim sum and playing Pokemon on my Game Boy at the table.
alx.han says:
[+..••]
alx.han says:
Growing up in Canada as a 2nd generation Korean-Canadian, I had a great childhood. The schools that I went to were as multicultural as you can get, having friends from various cultures definitely shaped my perception of culture as a whole.
kkselina says:
Growing up filipino, quality time is extremely important. My childhood was full of family and friends. We were never alone, constantly at picnics or parties with buffet-style food, karaoke, and games.
aikenbacons says:
kkselina says:
alx.han says:
This lunchbox dilemma affected my way that I identified as an asian canadian as I remember countless times of being embarrassed of bringing my korean lunches to school and wanting to fit in with the other kids.
alx.han says:
I remember the feeling of not wanting to open my lunch because of the smell and weird looks.
bykevinwu says:
Growing up as a kid in public school, people identify us as Asian just based on what we brought to the lunch table. Obviously we look visually different from our Caucasian friends, but when we brought our dumplings in a Thermos that "stink" up the lunch room, people knew you were Chinese.
bykevinwu says:
It certainly was a struggle to come to terms with how different you are compared to your friends who are bringing PB&J sandwiches and charcuterie for kids in the form of Lunchables to the cafeteria at school.
kkselina says:
I asked my mom to stop giving me filipino food, and give me spaghetti and sandwiches like everyone else. I used that to prove to others that I was just as Canadian as they were: "My family doesn't even eat filipino food. I'm barely filipino."
aikenbacons says:
bykevinwu says:
All you want to do is to fit in with the rest.
aikenbacons says:
I went to school in Scarborough where majority of my classmates were Chinese, Filipino & Sri Lankan so having cultural foods was pretty ordinary.
bykevinwu says:
100%. Especially coming from a Chinese family, food is the one thing that connects us all. How we ask how others are doing, not by asking "how are you" but by asking "have you eaten yet". Everything is, first and foremost, about food.
kkselina says:
aikenbacons says:
Chinese food and eating style is definitely in my identity! It's in the way I share meals with my family and even when I lived with my roommates in college as we try to eat together at the same time.
alx.han says:
Food has always been intertwined with my identity as I believe that food brings people together no matter what background you come from.
kkselina says:
(*>▽<*)
aikenbacons says:
( ⁎˃ᆺ˂ )
alx.han says:
(。◕‿◕。)
bykevinwu says:
(✿☯ ‿☯✿)
bykevinwu says:
Fav foods?
alx.han says:
My favorite azn lunchbox food was kimbap. If I were to explain it to somebody thats unfamiliar with the cuisine I would compare it to sushi rolls.
kkselina says:
My favourite lunchbox food was Kare-Kare. (I'm eating it as I write this actually! Not even joking.)
kkselina says:
It's a Filipino stew with a rich and thick peanut sauce, mixed with beef, bok choy and rice! It's still one of my favourite meals to this day!
aikenbacons says:
I really liked the sushi my mom would make as it was fun and easy to eat. We would only make it once in a while as it was a lot of work in the mornings and she would have me wake up early with her to wrap them before school.
bykevinwu says:
Hands down - dumplings.
No matter how it smells when you open the lid to your thermos container. Dumplings defined my childhood - and the smell brings me back to that nostalgia.
bykevinwu says:
Looking back as an adult now, I am glad to have experienced my lunchbox dilemma. My fellow Chinese Canadian friends have all grown up with this dilemma and it definitely has brought us closer together.
bykevinwu says:
From being a child who struggled with identity, as an adult now, I've come to embrace my Asian heritage.
alx.han says:
Looking back on those moments and how it impacted the person I am today makes me realize that I have embraced being Korean and enjoying Korean cuisine but also being open to trying other cultural foods.
aikenbacons says:
I think my experience and through listening to the other experiences on the project I realize that my experience is unique and how important it can be to be surrounded with people who share similar cultural backgrounds to find a sense of safety and community. Growing up this way has made it feel easier for me to be proud to share the foods I eat and the traditions I celebrate.
kkselina says:
I'm still relearning and remembering who I am, how I grew up, and what I love. But every day, I grow more and more proud of my culture and what makes me different. Every day, I try to share it at every opportunity I can.
