The affinity group Asian Students in Action (ASiA) held a Chuseok and Zhong Qiu Jie Festival on the Quad during lunch Oct. 3, in celebration of Korean Thanksgiving Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival in Korean and Chinese cultures, respectively.
During the festival, ASiA leaders brought foods to the community such as mooncakes, Chinese candies and Korean tteok, a type of rice cake. Club members shared culture associated with the holidays and spoke about the significance of the two celebrations.
Club leader Glory Ho ’24 said the celebration of both festivals allows the wider school community to better understand the cultures associated with them.
“Chuseok and the Mid-Autumn Festival are Chinese and Korean festivals,” Ho said. “Both of them celebrate the fall solstice and the cultures [associated with it]. [Today], we’re celebrating them, and we just thought it would be nice [to bring to the community]. We had our first ASiA meeting yesterday, so we thought it’d be good to kick off the year with a celebration of our culture. Of course, not everybody who is Asian is either Chinese or Korean, so it’s nice to spread aspects of our culture around what it means to be an Asian American in the wider community.”
Club leader Dale Kim ’25 said the food he brought represents a deeper part of his identity as a Korean American.
“I know to a lot of people, the food may seem like some yummy thing to attract people and get people to show up and participate,” Kim said. “But to people who have really grown up surrounded by Asian culture, this is the type of food that you share with your family once a year, where you go over to your grandma’s house and you make these [foods]. It represents more than just a delicious snack. It’s also about the experience, the cultures and memories behind it. This is a big moment for me and everyone who celebrates Asian culture.”
Like Kim, Jacklyn Wang ’24 said the festival and the food brought resonated with her Chinese heritage.
“I came [to the event] today to celebrate my culture and the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Wang said. “I really liked the White Rabbit [candy] because it brings me back to when I used to live in China, [and] I also appreciate the mooncakes [the club brought].”
Ho said one part of her Chinese culture she hoped to bring to the community was bonding through the sharing of food.
“In Chinese culture, for the mid-autumn festival, an important part is your family coming together and sharing the mooncakes and food together,” Ho said. “That aspect of [togetherness] is what we really want to bring to the school community as well, and one way we do that is through food. [Sharing food] is one way we want to spread love.”
Kim said he is excited to represent the club in future events as a new junior leader.
“Being an [ASiA] leader is awesome,” Kim said. “I’m looking forward to hosting more of these events, such as [the mid-autumn festival]. I feel like being an Asian leader is a big requirement, but I’m excited to meet those expectations and surpass them. Not only am I planning to hold our common events, just like every other leader in the past, but I’m excited to come up with new ways to celebrate Asian culture and build a stronger Asian community at Harvard-Westlake.”
