Asian in America

Asian in America is an award-nominated symbolic exhibition and dining experience that explores the complex narrative of the Asian American identity through food & drink, virtual reality, spoken word and poetry. Over the span of 2.5 hours, guests are taken on a multi-sensory journey of the Asian American identity, exploring topics from cultural hierarchies in the food system, the lack of the individualism granted to minorities, the Model Minority myth and the internalization of the “white savior” complex.

Asian in America originally began as a 3-course "meal" of short personal essays published in Goldthread and quickly developed into a 6-course & 3-cocktail dining experience with alternating presentations of poetry and virtual reality. Each course's interplay of carefully chosen ingredients, plating and visual/written art serve as prompts for guests to discuss and connect via themes relating to home, belonging and identity. The VR component of immersive graphics and spoken word adds another dimension to the storytelling of each topic, while also providing the important service of leveling extrovert and introvert energies in the room so every guest can interact with the art as both a solo observer (in-headset) and a group participant (in conversation).

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The experience officially debuted in August 2018 and has been traveling across the United States, taking on different forms from museum exhibitions and public cultural programming to private dinners.