Cultural Extravaganza Draws 150

About 150 students overran the Leverett House dining hall last night, sampling authentic Asian delicacies and watching cultural performances.

The Asian American Association (AAA) sponsored the event, dubbed the Cultural Extravaganza, with numerous other Asian campus groups.

"There are rare times at Harvard that all the Asian groups get together," said AAA Cultural Committee Chair Jennifer W. Toy '01, who emceed the event.

The multi-group effort was a departure from tradition, said AAA Vice President Jenny I. Shen '01, as AAA is usually the sole sponsor of an annual buffet dinner to commemorate Asian-American Heritage Month.

This year the group expanded the program to include cultural performances and enlisted the help of other groups, Shen said.

Students, who were charged $4 in advance and $5 at the door, were offered a plethora of tasty dishes, prepared and served by undergraduates wearing traditional Asian garb.

The Japan Society featured yakisoba--Japanese-style fried noodles, the Taiwanese Cultural Society served up scallion pancakes, the Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF) offered lumpia--a Filipino egg roll, and the South Asian Association had pakoras--vegetables deep-fried in chickpea batter.

Students also ate fried tofu courtesy of the AAA, Korean "sushi" from the Korean Association, fried rice made by the Hong Kong Club, and pad thai cooked by the Harvard Thai Society.

Feng Y. Xu '03, a representative of the Chinese Students Association (CSA), said she especially liked the pad thai, which is a famous Thai dish of rice noodles.

The CSA topped off the meal with traditional desserts, as did the Vietnamese Association.

"The food brings me back home," said a CSA representative Jennie C. Wei '03, who is from Chicago.

The meal set the stage for a number of performers, who ranged from the Korean Drum Troupe's percussionists to the Asian-American Dance Troupe. HPF dancers presented a courtship dance, eliciting catcalls from the crowd.

Martial arts were on display throughout the night, as the Kendo Club demonstrated its art of Japanese sword-fighting, which emphasizes the "singular fatal blow," said Andrew W. Hartlagh '02, the club's publicity director.

The Harvard World Taekwondo Federation Club also put on a show for the crowd, as Christopher J. Shim '02 and Kathy Chang '02 put on pads and headgear and began sparring.

"You go, girl!" someone shouted from the audience as Chang kicked Shim in the face.

A few minutes later, Chang put her foot through two boards of white pine, each an inch thick and as strong as human bone.

But it was a break-dancing performance led by Chhuay Chhun '02 and Tri Phuong '02 that excited the crowd the most.

Chhun objected to the term "break-dancing" as one that has been "exploited by the media." He referred to his craft as "B-boying" and identified himself and Phuong as "B-boys."

Phuong addressed the question of whether an art form allegedly created in the Bronx belonged in an Asian cultural event by saying that he was Asian and that he grew up with "B-boying."

"I don't believe that culture is static," he said. "It changes all the time."