Taste of Asia shares food,music with public

Asian cuisine and popular music will be on display at the Taste of Asia at 5 p.m. today in the IU Auditorium.

The event will feature music from After School Special and the Rod Rivera Band.
It is sponsored by the Asian American Association and free to the public.

After opening remarks and the two performances, attendees will have the chance to sample ethnic food from local vendors Taste of India, Fortune Cookies, Soban and others.

Sponsors, including IU Student Association, Residence Halls Association, the Office of Multicultural Initiatives, the Asian Culture Center, the East Asian Studies Center and Commission on Multicultural Understanding, provided funding, said Gloria Chan, sophomore and AAA executive board member.

The event is a way to spread Asian cultural awareness during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Chan said.

Chan explained that while Asian Pacific Heritage Month is celebrated nationally during May, IU students celebrate during April in order to correspond with the school year.

Trisha Satterfield, sophomore and AAA culture chair, said a partnership with the Japanese Student Association will help the AAA raise funds at the event to benefit Japan.

She invited anyone interested in Asian culture or issues regardless of his background.

“It’s a fun place to learn about the Asian American community and to meet new people,” Satterfield said.