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SECTION 3 Oceania


Special Occasion Foods: Traditional Rituals, Celebrations, and Holidays Feasting plays an important role in NHPI celebratory events such as weddings, anniversaries, community and family gatherings, funerals, church activities, birthdays, and holiday celebrations.34


At these events, food promotes unity and


harmony among the people and the broader community. For these special occasions and gatherings, NHPIs


prepare, bring, and celebrate with traditional and local dishes of their cultures. Cultural values are passed down with the food preparation and setup. Traditionally, women lead the food preparation or area decoration. Men typically lead the food preparation for outside cooking and set up the chairs, canopies, barbeque, and more. Younger generations are involved, as participating in food preparation is a way to pass on cultural values such as family togetherness, cooperation, and interdependence and to learn various roles required for these special occasions.34 Placement of food on serving tables is intentional.


Tere are sections for starches; chicken and meats; fish and seafood; vegetables, salad, and soups; and desserts. Te meats and vegetables are placed next to each other because of dishes like lumpia, pancit, and shrimp patties that contain both food groups. For larger parties, uncut meat items such as roasted pig are placed on a separate table, which is used as a carving station. Guests arrive with empty stomachs and leave with full bellies—along with food to take home from the host. Tis is a sign of hospitality and appreciation for attending.39 Across the Pacific Islands region, food is prepared and


given as a gift to loved ones, friends, colleagues, the com- munity, and visitors outside of special occasions. Tis is an expression of cultural values of respect, reciprocity, appreci- ation, hospitality, and generosity. Te gift of food welcomes new friends and others as well as strengthens existing relationships. Refusal of offered food may be considered an insult to the giver or the host. Food also symbolizes ceremo- nial practices for many communities. Traditional feasts often include an array of dishes


made from root crops and starchy fruits such as taro, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava, and plantain, in addition to fish or other protein foods, such as kalua pork. For example, Sunday feasts, known in Samoa as To’ona’i, involve extended fam- ilies and incorporate traditional and other favorite dishes. Such feasts are often planned without regard to dietary


recommendations. In Hawaiʻi, lūʻau (Hawaiian feasts) are meant to gather people for an occasion with food and social interaction. Today, Hawaiʻi tourism has offered lūʻau to visitors to enjoy modern traditional Hawaiian dishes and Polynesian dance entertainment. However, these lūʻau do not capture the entirety of the Native Hawaiian culture or the traditional purpose of holding a lūʻau. In Guam and the CNMI, foods offered only at fiestas (village celebrations of the patron saint) are becoming more common in frequent celebrations, such as birthdays and graduations. In addition, many of the US government and religious


holidays that are celebrated in the continental US are also celebrated across Hawaiʻi and the USAPI region with additional holidays celebrating significant events (e.g., Lib- eration Day in Guam) or people (e.g., King Kamehameha Day in Hawaiʻi).


Current Food Practices Many NHPI people have strong connections to their land, which influences their everyday lifestyle. Nature is believed to be the ultimate source of life, as both a spiritual and physical place; humanity and nature are intertwined. Food represents prosperity, generosity, and community support in NHPI cultures. Over time, the Pacific Islands’ food systems have adapted to include a conglomeration of traditional foods, modified recipes based on availability of local ingredi- ents and advances in cooking methods, and influences passed down from respected elders, family members, and interisland migrants. Today, common dishes of Pacific Islands cultures are fusion cuisine, weaving traditional and introduced foods and using traditional and contemporary preparation meth- ods.39


Tese influences have come from both Western and


Asian food practices. Within the past few decades, the traditional diet of all


Pacific Islands has shifted greatly from traditional foods toward increased consumption of imported and more highly processed foods, including white rice, wheat flour products, canned meat (e.g., Spam) and fish, sugar, fatty meats (includ- ing turkey tail), and processed foods.39


Starchy staples that


are imported, such as rice, have a different nutrient profile, often containing less fiber than traditional staples, such as root crops. Fruits that do not thrive in tropical climates, such as apples, oranges, and pears, have increased in consumer demand; on the islands, locally grown fruits cost less, but these may be harder to access in the continental US.33


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