As a resident of the San Gabriel Valley of California, I am no stranger to the 626 Night Market, named after the area code that SGV residents (like me!) share. The 626 area is home to many immigrants from various regions in East Asia including China, Taiwan, Korea…
Formed in the 1970s after several civil rights movements, Asian Pacific Coalition (APC) is a student led organization that seeks to provide a voice and platform for the Asian Pacific Island Desi American (APIDA) community, and its goals have been to create safe spaces when none were originally…
The night market raised concerns on the public Facebook event about how the student groups involved were chosen and whether it erased the presence of other cultures and communities on campus.
It’s supposed to be a fun, relaxed approach for different communities to get to know each other and try new foods. In theory it’s a great idea, except for one fundamental flaw: communities where night markets hold vast cultural significance were ignored in the planning of this event.