Asian Heritage Month Care Baskets

The Asian Heritage Month care basket initiative was inspired by UBC Okanagan students to promote self-care and provide an opportunity for students to share some of their culture with peers.

Each basket contained items identified by our student community, such as teas, snacks, a book and a mug to encourage fellow students to learn more about the vibrant and rich diversity within Asia and to promote self-care. Each basket was created with different snacks/books that reflect the diversity and multiculturalism of Asia. See below to learn more about some of the items our students shared.

Thank you

Thank you to the many students who contributed their ideas and time to develop the Asian Heritage care basket initiative. This initiative was made possible with the generous support of:

Registration

Registration for the baskets has now closed and baskets are being shipped to the recipients. Thank you for your interest in this initiative!

 

Student Testimonials

We asked UBC Okanagan students to share ideas for snacks and drinks to include in the Asian Heritage Month care baskets. Below are student testimonials, where UBC Okanagan students share the personal meaning behind these snacks and drinks for some students.

“Haw flakes (Chinese: 山楂餅) are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn. The pale/dark pink candy is usually formed into discs two millimeters thick, and packaged in cylindrical stacks with label art reminiscent of Chinese fireworks. The sweet and tangy snack is usually served to guests along with tea or as a treat for children. Some Chinese people take the flakes with bitter Chinese herbal medicine.”

“Tea/chai – specifically this because cultures differ across India so much but I find that chai is pretty much a constant in all parts of the country. That being said, the way that it’s made and the tastes of it differ slightly based on the region.”

“Pickles are traditional Indian foods made using fruits and vegetables, which traditionally used to be washed cut and dried on rooftops of houses for a few days and then these are mixed with oils and spices and are seasoned in sunlight. They last for one or two years without any preservatives and retain nutritional value.”

“We play a lot of cards. We often drink fresh lime soda and have something easy to eat without messing up the table or the cards, which for us were peanuts. Which is what tasty nuts are!”

“Artichoke Tea is a healthy drink, it is believed to be able to clean the liver and detoxify properties. There are two kinds of artichoke tea: the sweetened yellowish tea made from the artichoke flower & the intensely bitter black tea made from the artichoke stems. Yellowish tea is easier to drink than black tea. Even this kind of tea is mostly grown in Dalat in Vietnam’s cool Central Highlands, it is now dried, packed in packets and you can find in supermarkets throughout the country.”

“Turmeric Milk really helps with many ailments and is a great source of calcium!”

“Kava is a staple amongst the Kashmiri’s and is consumed throughout the day. I fondly remember sipping it as a kid in front of a roaring fire with my parents and elders in the house.”

“Ginger Tea (Masala Tea) is an intrinsic part of India, especially during winter months. It also has medical and therapeutic properties. Typically, this tea is had first thing in the morning, and once during early evening.”

Student Book Recommendations

UBC Okanagan students shared a selection of recommended books:

  • Akbar Birbal stories
  • Amar Chitra Katha comics
  • Bhagwat Gita
  • Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America, by David H.T. Wong
  • My Experiments with the Truth, by Mohandas K. Gandhi
  • Stories from Panchatantra
  • This Earth of Mankind, by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
  • The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
  • The Great Indian Novel, by Shashi Tharoor
  • The Sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen
  • Tinkle comics