At LSU, where Asian students make up a mere 5% of the population, the Asian Student Union offers an opportunity to learn about Asian culture, connect with like-minded peers and eat delicious food.
LSU’s Asian Student Union hosted a fruit and milk-centered dessert night on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Global Community Center. The treats included che thai, bilo-bilo and hwachae, all of which include milk and fruit.
Each of the desserts at the event came from a different culture. Che thai — a dessert composed of fruits, jellies and coconut milk — is traditionally Vietnamese, while bilo-bilo — a dessert with glutinous rice balls, fruit and coconut milk — is Filipino. Lastly, the Korean hwachae is colloquially known as a “fruit punch bowl” with any combination of fruit, lychee jelly and Sprite.
“With this, you get to learn about each ethnicity,” club advisor Kaitlyn Hoang said. “You get to indulge in Vietnamese culture, Thai culture, everything.”
As a previous member of ASU during her time as an undergraduate student, Hoang shared that the organization helped her find a sense of belonging during college.
“I feel like a lot of us, especially growing up Asian in America, are ashamed of who you are and that’s how I was for a long time,” Hoang said. “And coming here, I’ve learned a lot of confidence.”
Though the room was full of people from different backgrounds, the community created through ASU is one that is tight-knit and welcoming. Many people jumped from table to table to chat with fellow club members, making friends and learning about different cuisines on the way.
Royce Choi, the temporary advisor for the Asian Student Union, was pleasantly surprised at the turnout of the event.
“Just in the first ten minutes, I can already see its impact,” Choi said. “Having this community come together and share cultural stuff together I think is quite meaningful.”
LSU is a predominantly white institution, with roughly 60% of its students identifying as caucasian. Chemical engineering senior Hamood Qureshi mentioned the relief of being around students that shared his racial background.
“It’s nice to be around other Asian and Asian American students because it’s not something you get to do very often,” Qureshi said.
For out-of-state freshman Chloe Tran, ASU’s sweet treat night offered a slice of home.
“I haven’t been home in a couple weeks,” Tran mentioned, “so it was nice being able to eat food from my own culture and food that I’m used to eating when I visit my grandma’s.”
In-state freshman Olivia Ngo shared her perspective on finding community within her home state.
“Growing up in Louisiana, I was always worried that I would never find people that looked like me or shared the same culture as me,” Ngo explained. “Coming to LSU and finding out that there are clubs like ASU and a room full of people that look like me is really comforting.”
Like many club members, president An Tra has been encouraged by the organization to reconnect with his cultural roots.
“It brought me back to where I was from,” Tra said. “It made me proud of my culture, and it kind of just opened me up to stand up for what I actually believe in.”
Since ASU’s return to campus in the fall of 2024, the student organization has made a concerted effort to provide a safe space for Asian students, as well as extend a warm invite to those outside of the community.
“We welcome everyone to come and learn about us,” event lead Alina Insyxiengmay shared. “Of course we want to uplift the Asian community and their voices, but we are always welcoming to others and learning what other cultures have to offer.”
For more information on LSU’s Asian Student Union, visit the club‘s Instagram.
