Wearing my food on my sleeve

I like to joke that The New York Times is my favorite brand of clothing. It isn’t really a joke, though — I’ve been proudly repping merch from the Cooking section of the Times for the last three years. But my collection of about two dozen pieces of food-themed clothing and accessories, from my Abercrombie & Fitch bagel shirt to my Beli app hat, goes back much further than that. It represents not only my love for cooking and eating, but also my journey as a student and professional in the world of food. 

When I first came to NYU, I initially hesitated to wear anything overly focused on food. Was a sweatshirt with garlic cloves on the front and a list of garlic-containing recipes on the back too quirky, even for a Food Studies major like myself? Toward the end of Project OutReach, a pre-orientation community service program I participated in alongside about 100 other NYU first-years, I decided to give it a chance. The ensuing wave of students that complimented the sweatshirt and asked where I got it from was shocking to me. “The New York Times, of course,” I would say.

While this wasn’t the first time I used fashion to show that food was my brand, I wasn’t used to receiving so much genuine interest in it from others. In middle and high school, I was known as the girl who loved food. I would show up to school in a cilantro T-shirt with my mom’s signature kale chiffonade salad for lunch, made with homemade breadcrumbs and thin slices of salami, ricotta salata and pepperoncinis. My final project in Advanced Placement U.S. History discussed how food shaped the course of American history as a commodity and tool of revolution. When I presented, I tactfully wore a Bon Appétit T-shirt with the words “taco nation” in fiery bold letters on the breast pocket and a sunglasses-wearing fish lounging in a taco shell on the back.

Despite these outward displays of foodie-ness, I struggled to get the sense that my community understood that food was more than just a passion. My courseload in high school focused heavily on STEM classes. So when I debuted my double major in journalism and food studies on my high school’s college decisions Instagram account, I was met with both pleasant surprise and a bit of confusion. Many friends, acquaintances and teachers were excited to see me pursue what I love — but it was undeniable that a career in food wasn’t what anyone expected from me.

I’ve had my fair share of comments from relatives joking that I had the audacity to stray from my family’s path. In reality, my pediatric-emergency-medicine-physician mother, urologist father and soon-to-be-physical-therapist sister are my biggest supporters. But those little moments of tension — the raised eyebrows implying that a career in food isn’t respectable, or the assumption that my time of academic achievement was a thing of the past — began to accumulate into self-doubt. 

As the pressure of traditional success weighed on me, my collection of food accessories and clothing began to grow. Last summer, one of my friends from high school knitted me a chartreuse-colored sweater vest with the word “kale” on it, a nod to my love for the unpopular vegetable. For my 19th birthday, my parents gifted me an egg long-sleeve shirt from Bon Appétit magazine and a Uniqlo T-shirt with yakitori, or Japanese skewers. On days with big exams or stressful presentations, I always opt for a food-themed outfit — like my Ni De Mama xiao long bao hat and green onion sweatshirt — for maximum comfort and confidence. 

These pieces of clothing are a fun representation of my foodie nature — but more importantly, they symbolize my interests, values and aspirations. In my nearly two years at NYU, what has stood out most to me are the food-oriented academic and professional communities I’ve become a part of. At the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, I am surrounded by peers and professors who are fascinated by the interdisciplinary, complex nature of the food system. At WSN, where I was the Dining Editor last semester and currently serve as Culture Editor, I have the freedom to explore the intersections between food, culture and beyond. And no matter where I am in New York City, my unique pieces of clothing never fail to be a talking point with strangers and close friends alike.  

Wearing clothes that reflect my identity is a uniquely freeing experience, and has given me the courage to live nearly 3,000 miles away from home, pursue my biggest passion and build a career out of it. Like my parents and sister, I also might become a doctor one day — with a Ph.D. in food studies, that is — and if I’m lucky, I’ll still get to wear my dumpling hat to work. 

Contact Lauren Ng at lng@nyunews.com. 

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The forgotten history of NYC’s Black cowboys

The dominant image of the cowboy has always been that of a white man dashingly traversing the American West. However, the cowboy has strong ties to the African American community, and nearly a quarter of cowboys in the 19th century were Black. The New York City Federation of Black Cowboys, a nonprofit organization established in 1994, aims to educate people on the rich history of Black cowboys in New York City. 

While Black cowboys have played a major role in shaping cowboy culture, this reality has largely been sidelined in classrooms and popular media. For example, “The Lone Ranger” (2013) was a story that was largely inspired by a Black cowboy named Bass Reeves. The art of bulldogging, which is integral to rodeo culture, was started by Black cowboy Bill Pickett. 

Members of the Federation are dedicated to keeping the spirit of cowboy culture alive. “Give me a pair of cowboy boots and my spurs and a pair of jeans and I’m good to go,” Federation member Eddie Abraham told WSN.

“Don’t let the African heritage get lost,” Federation Vice President Raleigh “Curly” Hall said in an interview with WSN. 

The word “cowboy” itself was, in part, a racist name given to newly freed African Americans after the Civil War who ventured westward in search of economic opportunity. It then evolved into the name for the job of cowhand, which involved rounding up and herding cattle across great distances. Cowboys have historically included Native Americans and Mexicans as well — the Spanish word “vaquero” led to the origin of the word “cowboy.” 

Similarly, the notion of cowboy culture being restricted to the American West is misguided. Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, New York, credits itself as the oldest cattle ranch in the U.S., established in 1658. The east coast is also home to several other prominent Black cowboy groups, such as the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club in Philadelphia. Even the renowned Madison Square Garden holds an annual Bull Riding Challenge.

Although the collective image and history of the cowboy in America originated in the Southwest, Black cowboys — like Ben “Tex” Miller, also known as Uncle Ben — moved to the Northeast for more equal rights and played a key role in keeping the memory of American cowboy culture alive. Originally hailing from South Carolina, Uncle Ben, the oldest member of the Federation until his passing, moved to Harlem after visiting New York City for a rodeo tour show at Madison Square Garden. Hall, an archivist for the Federation, preserves his memory to this day.

“Uncle Ben was 99 years old, and he was still getting up on a horse,” Hall said.

Horseback riding is an integral part of cowboy culture, which the Federation honors by using horseback riding lessons to offer local youth something that the city can’t — where life skills such as patience and tolerance can be honed.

“When I see a horse, I don’t see a horse. I see a soul,” Abraham said. 

The practice of horseback riding also has a colorful history in New York City. Lynne’s Riding Center, established in 1947, was where Hall had his first horseback riding lesson at 8 years old. At that time, the center was located in The Hole neighborhood of Brooklyn but has since moved to Forest Hills in Queens. The essence of being on a horse and having command of it relinquishes a certain freedom in anyone, transcending even the constraints of the most bustling city in America. 

Around 2020, Hall built Curly’s Cowboy Center on Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. This hacienda and museum boasts a plethora of historical artifacts from Black cowboys, Native Americans and West African culture as well. Since the center is still in the process of completing the paperwork to be an official museum, potential visitors must call the building’s number to organize a tour with Hall. 

One of the items on display is a collection of newspapers about the Unity Ride, a 4,000-mile horseback ride organized and completed in 2013 by the Western Dakota Nation of Native Americans. The journey started in Albany and had a stop at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City, where the Unity Riders called for the reaffirmation of the Two Row Wampum treaty — an agreement between the Dutch and the Haudenosaunee, a Native American confederacy of nations, ensuring that the two parties would not interfere in each other’s affairs. 

The cultural center is also a reflection of Hall himself, who was formerly a West African drummer and performed with celebrities such as James Brown and played in the orchestral ensemble for a Broadway show featuring Muhammad Ali. He is also a general contractor who surveyed the buildings of many public housing developments and founded a program that teaches horseback riding to students from Harlem and the Bronx — an initiative that helps to close the gap of underrepresentation of people of color in the sport. Even 10 years later, Hall still gets calls from his students telling him how much they enjoyed their lessons. 

Unfortunately, the Federation’s membership is dwindling, with only about 30 members left. To be fully enmeshed with the spirit of the cowboy, “your lifestyle has to be different and special,” Hall said. “[You don’t have] a lot of time for you to participate in the love of horsemanship.” 

According to Hall, the Federation reached out to several schools, some of which have expressed interest in making field trips to the Curly’s Cowboy Center museum. While the golden age of the American cowboy has passed, organizations like the Federation are keen on keeping its history — both the celebrated and the hidden — alive.

“It can never be relived,” Hall said. “We can only pass them on to the younger generations.”

Contact Aidan Levin at culture@nyunews.com.

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How NYU students celebrated Lunar New Year

On Jan. 29, millions of people around the world welcomed the Year of the Snake. While the holiday originated in China, many other countries celebrate Lunar New Year, especially those with a large Chinese diaspora or that were heavily influenced by Chinese culture in ancient times. However, celebrations in countries like Vietnam, Korea and Singapore have taken on their own unique flavor and have become integral holidays in both local and diasporic cultures. 

While Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated with family, NYU does not offer time off for the holiday, making it difficult for students to travel home. However, many have found unique ways to engage in new methods of festivity and stay close to their heritage.

China

Steinhardt sophomore Sunny Liang is majoring in global public health and food studies. Liang moved abroad from her hometown of Chengdu, China, to attend high school in Massachusetts and has been in the United States since. 

Liang has been away from home for several years, and has grown used to spending the holiday without family. To celebrate this year, she made dumplings with her roommate and watched Chunwan — a Chinese New Year gala show with celebrity appearances, traditional dances, comedy shows and more. While being far from home has been difficult, Liang appreciates the small wins. 

“I went to high school in a really small town,” she said. “Coming to New York has been great because now I have access to authentic Chinese food.” 

Vietnam

CAS senior Cindy Truong studies English with a specialization in creative writing and a minor in media, culture and communication. Truong is Vietnamese but was born and raised in the United States. Though she spent most of her childhood celebrating Lunar New Year — known as Tết in Vietnamese — in her home state of North Carolina, she recently started traveling to Vietnam for the holiday. This year, she was able to partake in the country’s unique cultural traditions. 

“On Tết, everything’s closed and you’re just with your family,” Truong said. “At night when we meet together and have dinner, we play cards for hours. The next day I went to a cafe with my friends and they were playing cards with their friends for like three, four hours, just never ending.” 

While not everyone can spend the holiday with loved ones, Truong recommends students still find ways to make the day special, such as cooking their favorite foods or finding others to celebrate with. 

Indonesia & Korea

CAS first-year Sua Han is studying economics. Born and raised in Indonesia, Han — who also has Korean heritage — was always immersed in Indonesian culture. Her upbringing resulted in a unique way of celebrating Lunar New Year with her family, where she partook in Korean traditions, such as bowing to elders to receive money in red packets, while eating Indonesian foods like nasi goreng, fried rice with meat and vegetables, and rendang, a spicy, slow-cooked beef dish.

Han said that since Lunar New Year is not an NYU holiday, “I just had a normal day, went to school, and Grubhubbed some food.” However, she made sure to reach out to her friends and family, wishing them well for the new year.

Singapore

Tisch and Steinhardt junior Megan Yi is double majoring in drama and media, culture and communication. As an international student from Singapore, Lunar New Year is the most important holiday for Yi, who always dreamt of holding her own gathering. 

“I told myself that the moment I got my own apartment, I would host my own celebration for Lunar New Year,” Yi said. 

To ring in the new year, Yi gathered her closest friends for a hot pot dinner in her apartment. One of her favorite Lunar New Year traditions is exchanging fruits for red packet money with elders. She recreated this with her friends, with each person bringing two fruits to exchange for a red envelope filled with chocolate coins instead of money. In place of traditional oranges, Yi told her friends to bring whichever fruit they wanted. 

“I’m grateful to have friends who, despite not being Asian, are interested in learning about the culture and participating in the traditions,” she said.

Contact Grace Tan and Sherry Chen at culture@nyunews.com.

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This Stern club highlights minority voices in the world of finance

Playing Family Feud to learn the fundamentals of finance and business is one of the many fun methods that the NYU chapter of BlackGen Capital uses to create community.

BlackGen Capital, a minority-owned student investment fund, aims to provide opportunities and resources for Black, Hispanic and Native American students who are often underrepresented in the finance and business industry. First founded at Cornell University in 2019, the student investment fund has expanded to nine different universities across the country, arriving at NYU in 2022. 

BlackGen Capital highlights the importance of having spaces where students of color can connect with their peers and share their unique struggles. The club’s mission is to equip members with the skills and knowledge to enter these industries and close the opportunity gap in the financial sector for underrepresented students. From 2018 to 2020, Black and Hispanic representation in the financial services industry hovered at 3% and 4% respectively, according to the United States Government Accountability Office.

“I went to a regular public high school — I didn’t come from a very advanced international school or anything like that, so I already felt like I was a few steps behind,” Stern senior Mopesola Elabanjo, one of the senior advisors of BlackGen Capital, said. “However, being in BlackGen, they really take the time to break things down step-by-step. They accept people, or they’re willing to teach people things who don’t already know everything.”  

Unlike many Stern clubs, BlackGen Capital opens its membership to students university-wide, regardless of their knowledge of finance and business. From launching educational programs — such as their intensive 10-week educational series on the fundamentals of finance and pitching new investment funds — to hosting panel discussions with firms such as JPMorgan, UBS and Bloomberg, BlackGen offers many opportunities for students to experience the world of business and finance firsthand. 

CAS senior Femi Oduntan, co-president of BlackGen, said that the club mentors students in building the confidence needed for job interviews — and eventually, to land their dream internship or job. BlackGen also strives to provide students of color with a found family, especially at a school where only 6% of the student body is Black and 12% are Hispanic or Latino — with less than 1% being of Native American heritage. 

“It’s important to have clubs like BlackGen on campus,” Oduntan said. “When you see a club that’s specifically for people of color, people feel like that’s where they want to be — they want to be with people that look like them, people that talk like them, people from the same background as them.” 

For Gallatin sophomore Selam Feleke, BlackGen has provided her with the necessary tools and ample space to explore her career in finance, boosting her confidence in her ability to make it in the industry as a person of color. In an environment as intense and competitive as Stern, Feleke struggled to find the opportunities that many of her peers were already aware of from their family background or past experiences. 

“When I came to NYU, I thought coming to an accredited institution — a [top 30] university — was going to alleviate the racist and the gendered inequalities that I face throughout my life,” Feleke said. “But when I got here, it was almost the opposite, because I was around so many privileged kids. It kind of showed me how huge the wealth income is, how huge the inequalities are.” 

Joining BlackGen is what made the difference, Feleke said, guiding her in the right direction early on in her college years. Most recently, she’s proud to have participated in the UBS Exclusive Onsite Session held on campus, where she completed a Mergers and Acquisitions Finance Accelerator Simulation that gave her insight into and reaffirmed her confidence in pursuing a career in banking. 

Beyond learning about the finance and business world, BlackGen has created a friendly space where students can have fun as they grow professionally, with many members creating long-lasting friendships and connections. They find solace in relating to each other’s struggles as busy college students, while also uplifting each other in their professional careers. 

“BlackGen has definitely changed not only my professional life but also just my personal life,” Oduntan said. “[I’ve made] friends and connections that I hope will also be a benefit to me, and I can be a benefit to them as well in the future.”

Contact Mariana Arboleda at culture@nyunews.com.

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Welcoming Lunar New Year in a new home

Lunar New Year has always been the most important holiday in my family. Growing up in China, I would travel to the northern coastal province of Shandong to celebrate with my dad’s side of the family. It was a time for me to reunite with relatives I only get to see a few times every year.

When I moved to the United States at the age of 12, one of the largest adjustments I faced was accepting the fact that Lunar New Year didn’t hold as much significance as it did back home. While some parts of my county had larger Asian populations, I could count the number of students in my grade who celebrated Lunar New Year on one hand.

In Shandong, I spent most of the days leading up to Lunar New Year with my cousins — we would go outside and run errands while the parents were busy preparing the meal. Like many families, we ate traditional foods with rich, symbolic meaning during our New Year’s Eve dinner. Fish, for example, symbolizes prosperity and abundance. Dumplings, a common celebratory dish in northern China, represent wealth because they resemble the shape of a gold Chinese currency. After dinner, we would watch Lunar New Year programs like the “Spring Festival Gala” and kill time waiting for midnight by playing majiang, also known as mahjong.

To my dismay, I was greeted with none of that in Irvington, New York — a suburban town about 25 miles north of NYU. Unlike in Shandong, Lunar New Year was regarded as a foreign holiday to most. There were no children buzzing with excitement awaiting their red envelopes, no communal decorations and certainly not much Chinese food. Despite the lack of festivity in my new home, I found solace in being able to celebrate the holiday with my immediate family. The door to my house was decorated with traditional banners and posters expressing wishes and luck for the coming year, and I helped my mom make dumplings for our New Year’s and New Year’s Eve dinners.

I have always been accompanied by my immediate family for past celebrations — but this is my first year, like many other East and Southeast Asian students, celebrating New Year’s alone.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The holiday is not federally recognized, nor is it one that NYU recognizes in its academic schedule. That does not, however, stop students from finding their own ways of celebrating the holiday. Lunar New Year is a time for new beginnings, wishes for good luck and reuniting with family. While many students might be far away from home when the clock strikes midnight, celebrating the new year at college offers a unique opportunity to form connections that span oceans, and perhaps even to create new traditions.

After I began attending NYU last fall, my family moved back to China — so this year more than most, I will look to celebrate in new ways with the people around me. Although I will undoubtedly be swamped with coursework on Lunar New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, I will still make time to go on a dumpling crawl in Chinatown and enjoy some hotpot. While this isn’t a food of northern Chinese origin nor traditionally tied to the holiday, socializing with friends over hotpot — thinly sliced meat, vegetables and other ingredients cooked in a boiling-hot soup broth — will be my new way of celebrating in a time and place without my family. I hope to walk around Chinatown to see the lanterns and the dragon dance, or even check out the Lunar New Year events held by NYU clubs for students like me. While this year will be different from those past, a new environment won’t stop me from enjoying my favorite holiday.

Contact Sherry Chen at culture@nyunews.com.

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