University of Minnesota student organizations hosted their fourth annual Asian Night Market this past Saturday.
The market featured tabling by 15 student organizations, singing and dance performances and market-style Asian food and drinks from local Minneapolis businesses.
The Hong Kong Student Association, the Tibetan American Student Association and the Taiwanese Student Society collaborate each year to host the event, which was attended by nearly 500 people this year. The event ran from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday.
The market aims to raise cultural awareness by bringing together lesser-known Asian cultures at the University and support smaller student organizations by providing them a platform to gain visibility on campus.
Jason Chang, a fourth-year student and acting TSS president, said elevating student organizations is the driving motivation behind hosting the event because there is a need for growth and exposure for smaller cultural organizations on campus.
“We have been fortunate enough that we have been able to pick up a significant following and start to grow, and we want to help others who are on the same journey,” Chang said. “We can help use our platform and grow other organizations and other communities.”
HKSA, TASA and TSS originally hosted the market outside Northrop in its first couple years. The groups transitioned the event to Coffman Union’s Great Hall to better meet capacity and performance space needs as the event has expanded, Chang added.
“Night markets are important cultural elements in a lot of Asia, and it’s just a community gathering place,” Chang said.
The market this year featured performances by 75 students, including five student groups and individual student performances. Nearly 50 students made up the event board and 25 students participated in the tabling portion of the event.
Isabelle Janey, TSS treasurer, said to make the event more cohesive, the board introduced a new ticketing system this year to encourage interaction and better facilitate a night market environment. Attendees were given two tickets at the start of the event and received additional tickets they could exchange for food items by interacting with tabling organizations.
Janey said supporting small businesses through the food they offer is another important part of creating a more immersive and inclusive market experience. The market featured appetizers, entrees, desserts and beverages from 15 different businesses.
“We tried to highlight just Asian food from small businesses in the Twin Cities and popular Asian drinks,” Janey said. “We are trying to highlight East Asian food but also South Asian food as well.”
Tenzin Yangchen, president of TASA, said the food is integral to hosting the event, as it is another way for attendees to connect with Asian culture.
“The vision is just sharing the culture through the food and what each of our organizations represents,” Yangchen said.
HKSA, TASA and TSS started preparing for the market back in October. The groups were divided into four subcommittee groups that helped organize finances, performance, tech and marketing, according to Chang.
Student service fees and occasional fundraising to cover unexpected expenses are what support the night market event each year, Janey said.
Emma Lai, president of HKSA, said the subcommittee focused its outreach through Instagram and TikTok for its marketing this year, posting consistent video content to appeal to students and a broader community audience.
“I think we did a really good job,” Lai said. “All of our organizations outside of the committees were making videos, so hopefully this year more people are seeing this and are like, ‘Oh, this looks like a lot of fun, I should come to this event.’”
In addition to promoting more online content on the event’s dedicated social media accounts, Lai said the group found alternative ways to promote the event through chalk art and handing out flyers on campus.
Jessica Xiong, a first-year student and a chair in an Asian-interest collegiate sorority Delta Phi Lambda, said the ability to table at the market is a valuable way to gain exposure and share what they do as a sorority of multicultural women.
Eve Khang, a second-year student and chair in Delta Phi Lambda, said the tabling event is also a platform where they can combat stereotypes that exist regarding sororities on campus.
“We want to educate the people who come by that we are passionate about our philanthropies,” Khang said. “We are a sorority with women who are passionate about spreading awareness about topics that are not talked about enough and educating the community as well.”
Saemee Oh, a fourth-year student and president of The Music and Healthcare Association, said the interactive part of the market has been a valuable opportunity to connect with people who are passionate about music. The club plans to table at the market again next year.
“Even though they are trying to get a ticket, it’s still a great conversation,” Oh said. “A lot of people have been asking for our Instagram wanting to get involved, so it’s a really great way to just spread the word.”
Khanhlinh Lambuu, a senior and member of the student group K-Move, a K-Pop cover dance group that performed at the market, said the highlight of performing was getting to share their hard work and passion for Korean music with the community.
“K-Pop is something we all listen to either casually or are die-hard fans of, so being able to do dances like this, kind of shows our appreciation and passion for the culture,” Lambuu said.
Sasha Gor, a first-year student in K-Move, said performing at the market was an exciting and collaborative experience.
“I feel like those moments before and after performing are great bonding moments, you’re both panicking together and having fun together, and it’s just over a great experience,” Gor said.