Have you ever thought of food as a medium that generates unity and strength, especially among immigrants?
The organizing committee of the Asian American Stories Video Contest thought it was a potent tool for this year’s theme.
After several surveys and various feedback, the organizers of the Asian American Stories Video Contest are one in saying that food tells stories that words alone often cannot.
So, they have chosen “Our Food, Our Stories: Legacy, Resilience, and the American Table” as the theme for the 2027 Asian American Stories Video Contest.
As one of 10 judges of the contest, I agree!
In fact, I also concur with the idea that a family recipe can carry the memory of a homeland, and a neighborhood restaurant can become a community’s gathering place.
Even a lunchbox packed with unfamiliar aromas can reveal both the pain of exclusion and the pride of belonging, something we Asian Americans are fond of doing, not only in potluck gatherings but also at work.
It is also common knowledge that across generations, food preserves traditions, fuels dreams, and creates opportunities for connection in community groupings.
“Our Food, Our Stories: Legacy, Resilience, and the American Table” is not simply about cooking or cuisine.
It is about the journeys behind every dish—the sacrifices of immigrants, the resilience of families, the dignity of work, the creativity of new generations, and the countless ways Asian Americans have enriched the cultural fabric of the United States.
My circle of friends says food is both deeply meaningful and profoundly joyful, and it is comfort and brings celebration, memory, and innovation. It invites curiosity, sparks conversation, and brings strangers together around a shared table.
Through documentary, narrative, animation, or experimental storytelling, filmmakers are challenged to answer such an enduring question:
How have the flavors carried across oceans transformed not only what America eats, but how America understands itself?
Joel Wong, chair of the board of judges, mentioned that participants are encouraged to build their stories around one or more of the following pillars.
Pillar I: Heritage, Memory, and the Transmission of Culture, which suggests Food as a Living Archive.
Recipes often survive where written histories do not. A grandmother’s dumplings, a father’s curry, or an auntie’s adobo can become vessels of identity passed from one generation to the next.
Also, entries may explore the Language of Care. In many Asian cultures, love is expressed not through grand declarations, but through a simple question: Have you eaten yet?
Pillar II: Economic Launchpads and Community Anchors, showcasing Food as Opportunity and Resilience.
Wong said, “Behind every bustling dining room and neighborhood market lies a story of sacrifice and perseverance.” For generations of Asian Americans, food businesses became pathways toward economic stability and upward mobility.
Wong believes that the dignity of labor celebrates the resilience, discipline, and pride of those whose long hours transformed modest beginnings into lasting legacies.
For Pillar III, it talks about innovation, cultural exchange, and the shared table as a bridge between communities. The organizers maintain that cuisine evolves; it travels, adapts, and inspires. Food possesses a unique power to break down barriers and create common ground.
From margins to mainstream, many Asian Americans remember being teased for bringing unfamiliar foods to school and work. Today, dishes once considered “foreign” have become beloved parts of American life.
That transformation reveals the changing attitudes toward identity and belonging. It is a creative reinvention that highlights chefs, entrepreneurs, home cooks, and creators who reinterpret tradition.
Wong said submissions will be evaluated using the following criteria: Culture & Historical Depth, Narrative Resonance & Engagement, Alignment with Theme, and Technical Execution & Creativity.
For the 2027 Asian American Stories Video Contest, we invite participants to tell stories that are intimate yet universal, deeply rooted yet forward-looking. The organizers said:
“Tell us how the foods carried across oceans helped shape the American story—one dish, one family, and one shared table at a time. Our Food, Our Stories: Legacy, Resilience, and the American Table. Because every meal has a history. Every recipe carries a journey. And every story deserves a place at the table.”
There you go! Looking forward to the launch of the 2027 Asian American Stories Video Contest!
ELPIDIO R. ESTIOKO was a veteran journalist in the Philippines and an award-winning journalist here in the US. He just published his book Unlocking the Chain of Poverty: In Pursuit of the American Dream, which is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Xlibris Publishing. For feedback, comments… please email the author at estiokoelpidio@gmail.com.
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