Grammy-nominated Artist Comes to Syracuse for AAPI Month
By Delaney Shaffer
Laughter filled Gifford Auditorium Thursday evening as students filed in, eagerly waiting to hear from Michelle Zauner, lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast. Songs by the band played throughout the room accompanied by singing from the crowd while they waited for the lecture to begin.
The commemorative lecture is part of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Celebration with a variety of events planned for the rest of April. Huey Hsiao, co-chair of the AAPI planning committee, kicked off the night unveiling the theme of the month is about regrounding and finding pride, strength, and joy in their AAPI identities.
Zauner’s memoir, “Crying in H Mart,” reflects on her experience of growing up as a Korean-American, reconciling her identity following her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and the grief she experienced following the loss of her mother.
Reading from the 19th chapter titled “Kimchi Fridge,” Zauner recalls finding childhood photographs in her mother's kimchi fridge after her passing in 2014. Her emotional journey of grief explores how food kept her close to her Korean heritage as it provided the ultimate source of comfort and nostalgia.
“When the parent that you culturally relate to dies, you have to work to keep that culture in your life,” she said. “I felt a lot of shame and guilt that I could not make the dishes my mother used to make me as she was dying. I felt like I had to undo that sense of failure by learning how to cook after she passed, but it also helped me process my grief along the way.”
JiSoo Shin, a sophomore Psychology major, shared how much this lecture meant to her.
“I look up to Michelle a lot,” she said. “It is so nice to see some of myself represented in her story and that I am not alone in trying to reconnect with my heritage.”
The event ended with a meet-and-greet and book signing with Zauner. Having been a huge fan of Japanese Breakfast since 2016, I enjoyed hearing her thoughts about the process of writing this book and how it tied into her music lyrically.
After reading “Crying in H Mart” you get swept up into Zauner’s head through her descriptions and emotion. I am grateful Zauner wrote this book because I think so many people can relate to her story, especially those of AAPI heritage.