My favorite dish that reminds me of my home is Sancocho.
My name is Jonathan Mercedes, prefer to go by Mercedes. I am from Bronx, NY and some of my interests are photography, cinema, food, tree climbing, kayaking, and video editing. I decided to take this class because my experience with Afro-Asia has only been subjected to my blackness. Typically, my interaction with Asia has been through traveling to Europe and Asian tourists have asked me to take photos with them. Also, my friends who actually have visited countries in Asia talk about the exoticism and fetishism of black people and culture. However, I do not think it is as black and white as I have seen it. I thought this class would reveal how each continent and its people inform one another and not so exclusive from each other. Also, pop culture is riddled with African and Asian fusion through rap, clothing, aesthetics, and more. Also, I hope this class will help me better understand the line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. Excited to see what this semester has in store.
Wonderful, Mercedes! Yes there is so much hip-hop orientalism or tropes of Asian culture in popular music. We will be working to unpack these this semester. We will also talk about Chino Latino food. Excited to learn more about Sancocho from you. A Bronx food tour would be amazing!