Our Rice Cooker

Growing up, one of the dishes that was prevalent in my life was rice. It was a dish that brought me and my family together, and the rice cooker was the sole reason behind it. This Tiger floral-designed rice cooker has been a part of my family for a long time, since my mother bought it at an Asian market 20 years ago when she was moving into our house in Nashua. At a very young age, my Filipino grandparents taught me how to wash the rice and properly operate the rice cooker so I could help out with preparing the food. These little moments brought me closer to my grandparents and my culture. Despite these moments, I often feel that I am not very connected to my Filipino heritage. Apart from my mother and grandmother, all of my Asian family is across the world, and I have only visited them once. The rice cooker is important to me not only because of how often I eat rice, but because this cuisine is one of the few things that connect me to my Asian heritage when living in America. I feel somewhat detached from my mother’s side, and the rice cooker is one of the few things left to remind me of it. Although rice is a very common side, it is deeper than just a simple dish to me, it is part of my family.

– EDG

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant