“Boba as a Representation of Identity and Culture”

Boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a tea-based beverage that originated in Taiwan during the early 1980s. Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1990s, particularly in California, including Los Angeles County, and it has since spread to other countries with significant East Asian populations. Boba tea is typically made with chewy tapioca balls, also known as “boba” or “pearls,” but it can also be served with other toppings, such as grass jelly, aloe vera, red bean, or popping boba.

Janaya Williams reports in this article on a new exhibition at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles called “the boba show: history, diaspora, & a third space,” which examines the drink’s journey from its roots in South America, to its incorporation into Taiwanese cuisine, and ultimately its widespread adoption in the U.S. as a cultural marker for Asian Americans. The exhibition is co-curated by Juily Phun, an Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies at Cal State University, Los Angeles, who notes that boba helped create a sense of community for young Asian Americans in areas like California’s San Gabriel Valley.

The Chinese American Museum, housed symbolically in the oldest surviving structure of Los Angeles’ original Chinatown, serves as a physical and cultural link to the district’s past while also looking forward to its multicultural future. Opened in 2003 after two decades of dedicated community and civic leadership, the museum’s location at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument reflects upon a rich immigrant history that dates back over a century and a half, to the first major Chinese settlement in Los Angeles.