How do We Celebrate the Asia Pacific in Aotearoa?
The University of Canterbury Students Association recently hosted the UC Asia Pacific Festival, a four-hour event hosted in Haere-Roa that featured live performances, food stalls and cultural workshops. I got a text in the morning telling me they were selling Malaysian food at uni, which is a big deal. Coming from a small town in North Canterbury, I’ve never really had the chance to connect to my Malaysian heritage outside of my family home and trips to Southeast Asia. But then I came to uni, and suddenly Malaysian culture was more visible than I had ever seen in New Zealand, which I am so grateful for.
Asia and the Pacific are two regions that have had massive influence on New Zealand. As Phil Goff, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, noted, “New Zealand is a Pacific nation – and not just geographically. Our population, culture and national identity are increasingly enriched and influenced by Pasifika.”
Asia has also been influential with demographic growth, international and economic ties and the increasing integration of Asian culture into our everyday lives, from music to the clothes we wear and foods we eat.
So, celebrating Asia and the Pacific has been a long time coming, and it’s becoming more popular. Auckland has started hosting an Aotearoa Asia Pacific Cultural Celebration, described on their events page as “more than just a festival… this celebration promotes cultural understanding, strengthens community bonds, and honours the contributions of Asian and Pacific peoples to New Zealand’s social and cultural landscape.”
Similarly, Whanganui hosted their first ever Asian Pacific Festival this year in March.
The President of the UC Global Society, who has successfully organised the Asia Pacific Festival for three years in a row, said “The objective of the Asia-Pacific Festival is to celebrate and embrace the rich and diverse cultures of Asia and Oceania. The festival aims to provide an educational and entertaining platform where students can immerse themselves in various cultural experiences through food, performances, workshops and community engagement.”
This year, the festival included a photobooth, batik painting and ketupat weaving, Masi painting and calligraphy, and live performances and food stalls celebrating local cuisine from different cultures.
“During APF we saw Malaysians trying champorado and Samoan trying tteokbokki. I also heard clubs were trading food they sold with each other! All these interactions were happening at the same time as performance and workshops. It was absolutely rad.”
The President also mentioned the difficulty of feeling disconnected from heritage and culture while studying.
“In a university setting, it can sometimes be easy for students to feel disconnected from our identity and culture… Events that showcase diversity create opportunities for students to connect with people from various backgrounds while also embracing their identity within the community. It is a reminder that although there are not many of us, we exist among UC students.”
“It is also exciting to see cultures being represented while learning about different traditions at the same time. Looking forward, we hope to see even greater collaboration between cultural clubs and wider support for initiatives that promote diversity, representation and cross-cultural engagement within UC.”
PHOTO: Aaliyah Raja