By Amanda Moses
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, an observance that highlights the numerous accomplishments, influence, and contributions made by Asian Americans. There are many things intertwined with American culture that came from Asia, whether there are instruments used in popular music or even snacks we eat.
The Spring Creek Sun has cultivated a list showcasing the many things that bridge Asian culture to the United States.
Bubble Tea: A delicious Taiwanese drink that is extremely popular with the Asian community. It is a tea drink with boba (chewy tapioca balls) and can be served hot or cold. Other names for this drink are boba, pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, and others. It can be tea mixed with milk, fruit, and even sprite soda.
Tai Chi: An abbreviation for Tai chi ch’üan, this Chinese martial art is a slow and steady form of defense training and has significant health benefits. Studies have shown this to be a meditative form of training that can help seniors and individuals of all ages build strength in their muscles and relax their mind. It’s even said to provide steadiness to those suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Matcha: A grounded form of green tea leaves found in Japan. In Japanese culture, there are tea ceremonies held in preparation of serving and drinking hot tea, showcasing its spirituality. Additionally, matcha has been used to flavor ice cream, lattes, mochi (a dough-like ice cream) and soba noodles.
Anime/Manga: Anime is a style of Japanese cartoon animation that is intended for adults and children. Manga on the other hand is a graphic novel, similar to comic books, that is also aimed at children and adults. Many times, Mangas are serialized and published in magazines in Japan, which, depending on the popularity, may turn into a book series. These Mangas are often the inspiration of Anmie, such as Naruto, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha, Tokyo Ghoul, Jujutsu Kaisen and more.
Haegeum: A traditional Korean string instrument with a similar sound to a violin albeit with just two silk two strings and is played with a bow. Many songs have utilized this instrument in the background, but Suga of BTS, also known as Agust D’s latest album D Day featured a song entitled Haegeum, which both showcases the instrument and what the word means in Korean, which is allowing or unlocking something that was forbidden. Agust D has explained in interviews that his song is about freedom, his lyrics when translated state: “This song’s simply about freeing what’s forbidden, but you must remember to differentiate freedom from self-indulgence.”
