In spring 2025, Sigma Iota Rho (SIR) hosted their semesterly town hall with a powerful theme: Cultural Confluence on a Plate: Exploring Transculturation Through Food in St. Louis. The event brought together community members, students, and local culinary voices to examine how food tells stories of migration, identity, and belonging.

Held as a panel discussion, the town hall featured a dynamic lineup of speakers who embody the intersection of food and culture in St. Louis: Professor Sabnam Ghosh from the American Cultural Studies department; Xin Wei, owner of Corner 17; Steven Pursely, chef and owner of Menya Rui; and Lona Luo, owner of Lona’s Lil Eats.

Together, the panelists explored how the blending of food traditions, known as transculturation, shapes both personal and collective experiences in the city. They reflected on the ways food acts as a bridge between heritage and innovation, and between communities that might not otherwise intersect.

Through guiding questions like, What responsibilities come with sharing or blending cultural traditions through food? and How do you navigate the tension between honoring tradition and adapting to new cultural contexts?, panelists offered deeply personal insights. They spoke about staying true to ancestral flavors while adapting to new ingredients, customer expectations, and evolving identities. The discussion also highlighted food’s role in fostering resilience, building cross-cultural empathy, and imagining a more inclusive St. Louis.

The event was not only a celebration of the culinary richness of St. Louis, but also a call to consider how food reflects deeper histories of migration, struggle, and transformation.