ABOUT

The Boba Culture…

started off as an idea—a mentality to be more exact. All my life I’ve always felt different because of the things I found interesting. As an Asian-American (I’m Filipino) certain things exists in my community that others might not find worthy of their attention. Boba is one of these things.

Boba has been a part of my life ever since I was a child. I’m from SoCal, so Asian-American culture has always been very prevalent in my life. (Big family gatherings, aunts you don’t know, msg, plastic on the remotes, etc.). With the background that I have, Boba was something regular. It was always there. “Let’s get boba” was my version of “Let’s get coffee.”

I was shocked to hear that Boba was not as mainstream as I thought. Entering High School, I would hear some people talk about how they thought Boba was disgusting. Many of the people making these comments were not of Asian descent. This made me look deeper into why they stood so opposed to milk tea.

Not liking the way it tastes is one thing, but I came to the conclusion that those who spoke negative of Boba, just did not understand the culture that followed it.

Culture…interesting. What is this “culture” you ask of? Well TBC reader, I’m talking about Jenga and Connect Four.

Picture this.

It’s late—almost 9PM. It’s 60 degrees outside, and you and your friends/family are wearing light jackets. You pull up to an outdoor strip mall, and the parking lot is almost empty. However, you look over at one end of the parking lot and you see a group of people standing outside a small shop. There are no seats available inside, and there is a medium sized line almost coming out of the door. You walk in and look at the menu board. You can tell they have already run out of the Popcorn Chicken because the chalk is erased in its place; but you can still see where it was written. You smell that sweet-ish smell that all Boba shops have, and you can see the beat up lounge couches along with the college students sitting on them. Now it’s your turn to order. You keep it typical; maybe a medium honeydew with mini tapioca pearls. A space opens up and your party sits at the table. Somebody randomly throws Jenga pieces on the table, and now you are in an intense match with the people you care about most.

The Boba Baristas behind the counter call your order number, and they place the cup on the counter after they finish shaking it. You pick a straw out of the tall cup they have atop the serving table, and you bring your drink back to the Jenga game. Stab. You popped the plastic cover with your straw and you take sip.

As you scan across the room, you notice that everyone not only looks like you, but they are having the same experience as you. They are seeing and hearing the same things. The sound of the blender chopping ice, over the sound of someone laughing behind you. You take another sip.

When people ask what the “Boba Culture” means literally, I’ll say something like this.

That’s the experience

that not everyone allows themself to have. They haven’t felt the sense of community and pride I have while drinking milk tea. While it can be seen as an “Asian-thing,” you don’t have to be Asian to enjoy Boba, and that’s why I created this site.

Two of the things I talk about most on this website are K-Pop and Anime.

I see a lot of similarities between Boba, K-Pop, and Anime through the communities that have been created for them. Not just because all of them are Asia-related, but because they aren’t exactly “Western mainstream.”

A common interest amongst many can start a fire of passion and loyalty for those involved. For many years now, I have felt this way about K-Pop and Anime; so I felt it would be best that I made something that I could pour my thoughts about them in to.

The Boba Culture is meant to be a place where I can educate those old classmates of mine about the people, community, and culture that follows the things they don’t understand. A place where the “kid that wears anime t-shirts to school” can read something that he can see himself writing. A place for K-Pop Stans to hear about their favorite artists from a fellow Stan. A place where I can spread the positivity that comes from being a part of these incredible fandoms.

Boba might not be a “mainstream” thing, but you will not find the vibe from inside a Boba shop anywhere else. The things I talk about might not be all the way “mainstream” (yet) but I want people to feel like they can come here, and read things they can identify with.

This is The Boba Culture.

Been different. 042219.