The Multicultural Cookbook “To Eat, To Travel, To Share” is a project that celebrates cultural diversity.

By NaBeela Washington

There is power in bringing members of different communities together to uplift each other and exchange ideas that facilitate the exchange of thought-provoking ideas and celebrate cultural diversity.

This very celebration is the core of Jasmin Choi’s work on the Multicultural Cookbook To Eat, To Travel, To Share, a project, in partnership with The Welcome Project, that engages immigrant youth through storytelling to celebrate cultural diversity. High school students from immigrant communities interviewed their family members to learn more about their own recipes and related cultural significances.

This interview with Choi illustrates the importance of the “Multicultural Cookbook” and invites readers to join the conversation, through recipe or an exploration of their own cultural heritage.

NaBeela Washington: Describe how this particular project empowers other work that you’re doing in the community.

Jasmin Choi: We are happy to partner with the immigrant organization, The Welcome Project, to create this cookbook. The Welcome Project does phenomenal work by focusing on lifting young people from immigrant families to reach their full potential.

One of their prominent programs is called LIPS (Liaison Interpreter Program of Somerville), and it teaches bilingual high school students to expand their interpreter/translator skills. All of our high school editors for this cookbook project were also a part of the LIPS programs in The Welcome Project.

They mentioned that this cookbook is another great way to bridge the gap between immigrant youth and their families and communities as a cultural communicator and ambassador. One student editor, Amy Parrilla, said, “This program helped me think about what you can share with the community as a bilingual student. Being part of the multicultural cookbook is a great experience because there are so many students’ cultures and stories here.”

NW: How do you hope this project will inspire future conversations around culture and unique cultural differences?

JC: Adjusting to life in a new country can be isolating for immigrants. For many immigrants, food is a way to pay homage to their cultural roots and connect with others by sharing meals. We started this cookbook project to do exactly this, by showcasing cultural significances behind a meal. We hope to empower immigrant families through storytelling.

Food is the great connector, and we hope that the conversation around a multiplicity of cultures can start by sharing a meal and a story. One student editor, Salina Musyaju, shared that “Nepali food has helped me acknowledge and remember my values and ideologies, coming to a new country.”

NW: Were there any challenges making this project happen?

JC: The project came together without any major hiccups thanks to the organizational support from The Welcome Project (our community partner) and Boston University School of Public Health (our sponsor). One challenge that we did face was putting together the actual cookbook. None of us had any experience with creating a cookbook, so it was a great learning experience for all of us. All in all, we are very pleased with the final product.

NW: Do you have a favorite recipe that’s included in the cookbook?

JC: I love all the recipes that the students submitted for this cookbook! I was especially moved by the stories that accompanied these recipes. I appreciated the immigration stories and cultural history that these high school students shared in this book.

NW: What do you hope others can learn from this cookbook?

JC: We hope that this cookbook will increase cultural acceptance and empathy among the readers through the recipes and stories shared by immigrant youth and their families.

NW: What were some of the highlights that came out of putting together this cookbook?

JC: Some of the youth who have participated in this Multicultural Cookbook project shared with us that, “participating in this multicultural cookbook means that I will respect and understand different cultures and make space for them.” Another student shared that “multicultural means that being open to all these unique and diverse cultures and making them come together in a unifying way.”

Our student illustrator, Marc Alenn Jean Mary, shared with us this when asked why he decided to join this cookbook project: “Growing up in another country, Haiti, allowed me to gain a different perspective on the world. I see the world with the hope that my ancestors placed in the future and acknowledge the sacrifices that they invested. I try to transcribe my ideas and feelings through my artworks, I look at them as an extension of myself. I love hearing more about what the world has to offer, to me each culture, person, is a unique art piece adding more to the great art show, life. If we all share part of ourselves, the world would be one step closer to fulfill the dream that many before us had.”

Jasmin Choi holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) and in Public Health (MPH) from Boston University and is available for more questions at jasminc@bu.edu. Learn more about The Multicultural Cookbook at www.welcomeproject.org/immigrant-cookbook.