Nourishing Roots
(MFA Thesis)

A food heritage wellness platform and storytelling tool co-designed with community members and health advocates of the US Chinese diaspora. It empowers people of Chinese descent to preserve and cultivate traditional food knowledge, connect with cultural roots, and strengthen collective wellbeing—all while challenging mainstream narratives.

Project Duration:
September 2023 – May 2024

Advisors

Lona Vincent - DSI, Thesis Advisor

Mari Nakano - DSI, Faculty & Advisor

Miya Osaki - DSI, Program Chair

Hats Worn

Visual Designer

Design Researcher

Design Strategist

Facilitator

 

Deep Dive Resources:

Want a detailed journey through this project?
Click on either of the images below to access a PDF
of the complete research and design process.

 
 

Want to watch a 10-minute
overview of this project?

Watch me present at my thesis show – skip to 1:36:30.

 

 

Context:

While food plays a central role in Chinese culture and identity, many Chinese diaspora members struggle to maintain connections to their cultural food heritage due to assimilation pressures and Western-centric health narratives. The lack of cultural humility in mainstream nutrition advice often ignores the healthy cultural food traditions that diaspora communities rely on, contributing to the erosure of generational wisdom and severed ties between identity and wellbeing.

The Challenge: To increase the acceptance and integration of traditional Chinese food as a means to health and wellbeing.

There is an urgent need to ignite pride and strengthen connections to heritage. Spaces and initiatives that empower Chinese diaspora communities are needed to guide their own wellbeing, preserve their cultural identity, and counter dominant Western narratives.

Project Goals:

1

Increase accessibility to culturally-responsive nutrition care tools that honor and celebrate Chinese food traditions and practices.

2

Elevate representation of Chinese food traditions in mainstream health spaces while challenging dominant Western narratives about cultural foods.

3

Strengthen engagement between community members and health practitioners to foster more culturally competent and inclusive nutrition care.

4

Foster intergenerational knowledge transfer and storytelling to preserve valuable cultural wisdom for future generations.

5

Build pride and connection to cultural food heritage by creating spaces for sharing stories and celebrating traditional foodways.

 
 
 

Phase 1: Discovery & Context Building

In this initial phase, I conducted desk research to explore the landscape of Asian American experiences, cultural food practices, and health disparities to establish a strong foundation for the project moving forward.

Key Findings:

1

Western-centric nutrition advice overlooks healthy cultural food traditions

2

Representation gap in nutrition providers creates barriers to culturally-relevant care

3

Food classification systems vary significantly across cultures, affecting health perceptions

4

Cultural food stigmatization creates shame and disconnection from heritage through racist stereotypes and misinformation about traditional ingredients and dishes

 

Demographic & Health Research

I began by examining the growing Asian American population in the U.S., which now accounts for 6% of the population (over 21.1 million people), making it the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the country. In New York City alone, there are over 600,000 Chinese Americans, representing roughly 9% of the city's population.

Despite this demographic growth, Asian Americans often report feeling like "perpetual foreigners," citing experiences of discrimination, a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, persistent stereotypes, and lack of representation. This sense of dislocation creates complex pressures around cultural assimilation and preservation, particularly evident in food practices.

Health Equity Analysis

My research revealed significant health disparities affecting Asian Americans, including higher rates of certain chronic diseases, mental health stigma, and barriers to accessing culturally competent healthcare. These disparities are often overlooked due to the "model minority" myth and a lack of disaggregated data for Asian subgroups.

A particularly alarming statistic emerged: 74% of dietetics practitioners are non-Hispanic white, highlighting a systemic lack of diverse perspectives in nutrition care. This representation gap directly impacts the cultural relevance of nutrition guidance provided to diverse communities.

Cultural Food Significance

Racism and Western-centric perspectives have created harmful stereotypes about cultural foods, directly impacting the relationship between diaspora communities and their culinary heritage.

Many AAPI individuals report experiences of food shame—feeling embarrassed about bringing traditional dishes to school or work for fear of being labeled as "weird" or "smelly." Media headlines also illustrate how traditional ingredients and staples like MSG and white rice are frequently demonized.

The phenomenon extends beyond individual ingredients to entire cultural food systems. While Mediterranean diets receive widespread praise and promotion in mainstream health spaces, equivalent health benefits in traditional food philosophies are overlooked or dismissed. This pattern creates a harmful hierarchy where certain cultural foods are celebrated while others are stigmatized, regardless of nutritional value.

 
 

Phase 2: Empathize & Define

In this phase, I engaged deeply with multiple stakeholders to understand diverse perspectives on cultural food heritage and nutrition care. By connecting with both nutrition professionals and Chinese diaspora community members, I gained a comprehensive view of the challenges, opportunities, and lived experiences across the ecosystem.

 

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT:
NUTRITION EXPERTS

To better understand the nutrition care landscape, I interviewed registered dietitians (RDNs) and nutrition experts of color across the US, including from Hispanic, African American, Chinese, Japanese, and Caribbean backgrounds, and learned:

  1. Visual tools are powerful but culturally limited RDNs emphasized that pictures, plates, and food models, are essential for engaging clients, especially those with limited literacy or language barriers. However, available models are often American-centric and lack cultural inclusivity.

  1. Cultural food information is poorly archived The absence of cultural foods in existing databases has forced many to create their own libraries to better serve patients.

  2. Preventative care is underprioritized
    There is insufficient focus on education and patient empowerment, leading to overreliance on medication rather than lifestyle changes.

  3. Food-related trauma requires
    therapeutic approaches

    Practitioners emphasized the need to address trauma tied to food and incorporate therapeutic approaches in nutrition counseling.

STAKEHOLDER RESEARCH:
COMMUNITY SURVEY

Shifting from healthcare practitioners to community perspectives, I conducted both broad surveys and in-depth interviews with members of the US Chinese diaspora to understand their relationship with cultural foods and nutrition.

Survey Development
I created an online SurveyMonkey questionnaire exploring community members' relationship with cultural foods, experiences with nutrition advice, and desires for culturally-relevant resources.

Survey Insights

  1. Desire for culturally relevant nutrition
    81% of respondents found it helpful or very helpful for nutrition guidance to feature more Chinese ingredients and cooking methods.

  2. Influence of cultural healing practices
    64% of respondents reported that cultural factors or traditional healing practices somewhat or very much influence their self-care methods. 88% believed that integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and holistic wellness concepts would resonate with them.

  3. Potential for culturally adapted resources
    81% of respondents believed that recipes adapting traditional Chinese dishes with lean proteins and whole grains would motivate them to adopt healthier changes.

I currently manage my family’s Chinese restaurant (specializing in HK BBQ) in Philadelphia... and I’ve heard nearly everything someone could say about Chinese cuisine in the US. From what is and isn’t healthy to what foods we should or shouldn’t have and even how something should be cooked (because we did it “wrong”).
— Survey Respondent

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT:
COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS

To gain deeper insights, I conducted 14 in-depth interviews with diverse members of the US Chinese diaspora community, including international students, amateur cooks, a Cantonese BBQ restaurant manager, mental health counselor, pharmaceutical scientist, social worker, and food justice nonprofit strategist.

UNIQUE TAKEAWAYS:

  1. Assimilation pressures create early distance from traditions before purposeful identity exploration and validation stages.

  2. Barriers to preserving traditional dishes center on lacking generational knowledge transfer opportunities and communication challenges between generations.

  3. Motivations for connecting with heritage are rooted in preserving intergenerational stories and challenging assumptions to cultivate external pride.

  4. Lasting change requires spotlighting and celebrating the richness of Chinese food philosophy through accessible mediums.

  5. Strong desire for relatable resources such as nutrition guides, meal plans, and food glossaries to support healthy adaptations of traditional dishes.

ANALOGOUS RESEARCH:
EXPLORING HEALING BEYOND HEALTHCARE

To gain fresh perspectives, I conducted analogous research on the concept of healing outside the healthcare context. Working collaboratively with Miya Osaki, my program Chair, I explored broader dimensions of healing by mapping its ecosystem and investigating synonyms like "revival" and "renewing" through related concepts such as conservation, heritage, cultural practices, and resilience.

This exploration yielded key principles for cultural revival: "making visible," "preserving," "bridging," "combining," and "layers." These insights provided a valuable framework for approaching cultural food heritage, contextualizing the loss of traditional lifeways, and developing interventions that could promote healing through cultural reconnection.

 
 

Phase 3: Synthesis &
Opportunity Framing

After gathering diverse perspectives , I synthesized these insights to identify patterns and opportunities. This synthesis process allowed me to refine my challenge statement and identify specific opportunity areas for intervention, ensuring my solution would address the core needs of the community.

SYNTHESIS APPROACH 1:
ECOSYSTEM MAPPING

Throughout this process I also synthesized my continuous understanding of the explored themes, which helped me visualize the interconnected factors influencing cultural competence in nutrition care. The following map (below) helped identify key leverage points and opportunities for intervention.

 
 

Refined Design Challenge:

Through comprehensive research, stakeholder engagement, and insights synthesis across multiple perspectives, I was able to refine my challenge into a focused design statement that would guide the remainder of my thesis work.

 
 
 

Phase 4: Ideation & Concept Development

Drawing on insights from my research and stakeholder engagement, I began exploring potential solutions that would address the core needs of the Chinese diaspora community: preserving cultural food knowledge, building pride in food heritage, and strengthening connections across generations.

 

CONCEPT EXPLORATION

I brainstormed and mind-mapped various concepts based on key community needs: Visual food guides inspired by RDN interviews highlighting the effectiveness of visual tools; Storytelling tools to capture and preserve food memories and traditions; Communal spaces for celebrating and sharing cultural food heritage

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

To inform the development of a culturally-relevant food guide, I conducted a comparative analysis of visual food guides used by government health departments worldwide, examining their structure, cultural relevance, and effectiveness.Comparative Analysis

To inform the development of a culturally-relevant food guide, I conducted a comparative analysis of visual food guides used by government health departments worldwide, examining their structure, cultural relevance, and effectiveness.

CULTURAL POTUCK PROTOTYPE

To test community engagement methods and storytelling approaches, I collaborated with a classmate to facilitate a cultural potluck for our DSI community:

  • Participants brought dishes with personal significance

  • Our guest speaker, Mari Nakano, led a meaningful ritual of offering food to ancestors

  • Recipe cards captured stories behind each dish, testing documentation methods

  • Conversations around food traditions validated the power of communal food experiences

Key insights from this initial prototype revealed food's effectiveness as a catalyst for community building, cultural exchange, and personal reflection. The recipe cards created a tangible archive that demonstrated how we might document and celebrate diverse food heritage.

 
 

Phase 5: Co-Design & Prototyping

With initial concepts defined, I moved into a collaborative co-design process with community members to refine and develop the three core elements of the Nourishing Roots platform.

 

CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

To ensure that my proposed prototypes resonated with the community and effectively addressed their needs, I facilitated a co-design workshop with Chinese diaspora members. The workshop aimed to gather insights, foster collaboration, and engage participants in shaping the three core elements of the envisioned community platform: a visual food guide for healing, a spotlighting series for celebrating, and a card game for preserving Chinese food heritage.

The workshop was structured around the three pillars of the intervention: healing through heritage, celebrating heritage, and preserving heritage.

These pillars have emerged as guiding principles throughout my research and served as the foundation for the workshop activities

Activity 1 – Healing
Goal: to spotlight Chinese food heritage and its power to heal and strengthen communities

Participants explored diverse visual nutrition guides from around the world to inform the development of a culturally relevant guide for Chinese diaspora communities. In groups, they annotated laminated food guides with dry-erase markers, discussing effective elements, missing aspects, and cultural representation. After critique, each group designed their ideal Chinese food guides, incorporating insights from their discussions and prioritizing cultural relevance, accessibility, and nutritional guidance.

Teams designed rough concepts for ideal Chinese-attuned food guides

Key feedback emphasized the need for TCM principles

Activity 2 – Celebrating
Goal: to spotlight Chinese food heritage and its power to heal and strengthen communities

Participants selected significant Chinese dishes with healing properties, then documented personal stories and memories using templates. They explored how these dishes provided physical and emotional nourishment while connecting them to their cultural roots. After sharing their stories, the group collaborated on designing a community platform section to showcase these healing dishes, considering content types, organization, and interactive features.

Stories revealed emotional connections and cultural significance of traditional foods

Group envisioned how to structure a community platform to showcase these stories

Activity 3 – Preserving
Goal: to preserve Chinese food heritage through sparking meaningful conversations and capturing precious food wisdom

Participants engaged with a card game concept designed to preserve Chinese food heritage by sparking meaningful intergenerational conversations. After learning about the game's purpose—uncovering cherished recipes, traditions, and family food knowledge—small groups tested question prompts while sharing their own family food stories. They reflected on the memories and emotions evoked, providing feedback to refine the game and ensure it resonated with their cultural experiences and needs.

Feedback helped refine questions to better resonate with cultural experiences

Discussion revealed the power of guided conversation in uncovering food traditions

 
 

Phase 6: Platform Development

Bringing together all components, I developed Nourishing Roots as a comprehensive digital platform with physical components that address the needs identified throughout my research.

 
 
 

Phase 7: Impact Assessment
& Reflections

As Nourishing Roots transitioned from concept to reality, I developed frameworks to measure its effectiveness, assess its environmental impact, and chart its future growth. This phase focused on creating sustainable evaluation methods to ensure the platform continuously meets community needs while expanding its reach and impact. By establishing clear metrics and articulating a compelling vision for the future, I aimed to create a foundation for the long-term success and evolution of this community-centered initiative.

 

MEASURING IMPACT:
THEORY OF CHANGE

Nourishing Roots measures success through increased acceptance and integration of traditional Chinese food as a pathway to health, empowering the Chinese diaspora to guide their wellbeing while preserving cultural identity.

The platform addresses the erasure of generational knowledge caused by Western-centric nutrition advice through three interconnected interventions operating across individual, interpersonal, and community levels:

  1. Co-created Chinese-centered visual food guides build understanding of traditional foods' benefits while equipping health practitioners with culturally-responsive tools.

  2. The dish spotlight series destigmatizes stereotypes by showcasing healing traditional foods, helping the community recognize strength in their culinary heritage while facilitating knowledge exchange.

  3. The intergenerational card game stimulates family conversations about food rituals, improving communication between generations and strengthening relationships.

These pathways assume families desire to learn together when appropriately engaged and that highlighting community excellence can shift media and policy perspectives. By rebuilding generational bonds, the platform aims to revitalize protective practices embedded in traditional Chinese foodways.

Success will manifest as increased access to culturally-responsive nutrition tools, greater representation in mainstream spaces, and community members empowered to reconnect with their roots, advocate for their wellbeing, and challenge Western narratives.

MONITORING & EVALUATION PLAN

To assess Nourishing Roots' effectiveness in increasing acceptance and integration of traditional Chinese food, I developed a comprehensive monitoring framework combining quantitative metrics and qualitative insights. This evaluation approach will track progress toward project goals, inform data-driven improvements, and demonstrate how the platform empowers the Chinese diaspora to reclaim their food heritage, improve wellbeing, and challenge dominant narratives that overlook traditional wisdom.

END REFLECTIONS

This thesis journey has transformed my understanding of social design and my own cultural identity. The heart of this project has been the conversations with Chinese diaspora members—each interaction revealing stories of resilience, courage, and dreams that deserve celebration and amplification.

Coming from a traditional design background, I navigated the shift to social design research, learning to prioritize community building and ensuring the work is truly community-driven. I developed greater sensitivity in discussing food and cultural identity, creating safe spaces for sharing personal stories.

On a personal level, this journey has strengthened my connection to my food heritage. Conversations with community members led me to explore new cooking techniques and traditions, bringing me closer to my 婆婆 (grandmother) who passed away in 2020, through culinary knowledge passed down to my mother. I now feel more confident sharing our cultural cuisine without reservation.

While there is still much work to be done, I hope that these research insights, prototypes, and learnings will inspire further community building, care, and resilience. The connections I've made and the stories I've heard will continue to fuel my commitment as a social designer creating meaningful change.