Made in Asia: Exonians Embrace Asian Culture

Chinese dumplings, warm curry with rice and K-Pop songs blasting out of speakers. These were some of the things offered this past Saturday at the Academy’s annual Asian Night Market. Organized by the Asian Advisory Board (AAB), various clubs, including the Chinese Student Organization, convened to celebrate a night of good food and cultural exposure and to spread the awareness of the diverse Asian cultures represented on campus.

The night included entertainment from a variety of dance groups on campus. Students represented elements of Asian culture beyond food, such as the dance performances by Intoxicated Movement and BoA, the Beat of Asia. 

Lower Darius Shi, who participated in the event through CSO, outlined the benefits of the night. 

“Asian Night Market is a club bonding experience. A lot of clubs and club members help out in this event and they share food and they share entertainment with their club members,” Shi said. “And also, people love Asian food. It’s a way for club members to collect funds.” 

Compared to previous years, AAB attempted to incorporate more authentic aspects into the market.  “We tried to mimic the environment of a night market that is really common in Asia,” Lower Jessica Zhao, a member of AAB, said.

Upper Natasha Lim expressed her approval of Exeter’s own rendition of the Asian night market. “I loved the atmosphere because the loud music, bright lights, and crowded spaces reminded me of home.”

Initially, members of AAB were concerned about the location of the market, as moving to the Agora allowed less space for all of the booths and performances. Shi noted the difficulty for both the audience and performers alike.

“For the performances, the stage was smaller, so there’s less of an audience. And because the space is very limited, we have too much noise going on, so the performers couldn’t concentrate,” he said.

However, these worries soon disappeared, as the events turned out to be very successful among the attendees.

“People were very supportive for the performances and everything went smoothly,” Zhao said. “I had a lot of fun, even though I had to run around and yell at people occasionally, and people were very helpful, as a lot of people stayed afterwards to help clean up.”

The food offerings prepared by the clubs were a major factor in the large turnout at the event. 

Noting the popularity of Asian foods, Zhao said, “I think a lot of people were attracted to this event by the food. Our intention is to spread the Asian culture to this campus and let more students become interested in the Asian culture.”

Though this event was a night of fun and good food for the people who went, members of the Asian Advisory Board also reflected on the importance of having events like these for the Exeter community.

“It is important because events like the Asian Night Market allow students to showcase cultures that would otherwise be overlooked,” Lim said. “Although there are students of different cultures here on campus, it is not often that the community is exposed to them.”

Upper Misty Goh, co-head of ASEAN, also noted how the event proved to be a bonding activity for the members in her club through shared cultural ties. 

“I love Asian Night Market because it gives our club, ASEAN, an opportunity to cook together and connect to our roots again,” Goh said.

Overall, Asian Night Market provided an interesting experience for the students who attended, however they chose to spend their time.

“Students can view this event as an opportunity to try out food from different countries, enjoy some wonderful performances and just have fun with their friends,” Zhao said. “Isn’t that what you do at a night market?”