They Call Me Galvez

Ever since we started the social distancing protocols, I find myself cooking more frequently. My staples have been bbq chicken, chili, and pasta in meat sauce. The instant pot has been getting a lot of use. I have the mini instant pot which is a 3 quart pot and the perfect size for two to four people. This is the ideal size for single guy who live alone because I won’t have a ton of leftovers! Chili as been my go to instant pot meal because it is so quick and easy to make. I’m doing a lot of experimenting with recipes! My favorite so far has been garlic russet potatoes.

I found a few websites for instant pot recipes. This is an easy site for 3 quart IP recipes. I have found that using a chili packet makes it easier to make chili. Very efficient! Shredded Chicken is also one one of my favorites in the instant pot with salsa or picante sauce.
I have started watching cooking videos online. My family started weekly conference video calls just to check up on each other. Our weekly Galvez family online meetups have turned into cooking demos. We’ve learned how to make pancit (noodles), pork/chicken adobo (pictured), and most recently tiramisu. Of course, I’m “junior varsity” in the kitchen, so anything I can learn is appreciated! The majority of the things I cook are prepackaged, so I don’t consider it real cooking. I really appreciate my family taking the time to explain how to make things.

I recently discovered how to make tender garlic pork chops and veggies. Quick and easy! 4 mins/side on med heat with chopped garlic cloves. Gotta try different sauces next time. Served with veggies over rice. Perfect! Cooking is an experiment for me. Adding things together, harnessing the heat, timing of searing, presentation, etc… cooking really is an art… I lived on takeout, hamburger helper, and pasta. I’m definitely learning to appreciate all the preparation /work that goes into a home cooked meal. Eating is so much more enjoyable when you recognize all the work that goes into it. For me, eating was the scientific means of producing glucose for energy. Now, I realize that there is an art to cooking. I enjoy it so much more. HAHAHA! I really think that food can bring people together. I started watching TASTE THE NATION on HULU. It explored the diversity of food in the United States. Food is something everyone needs, so I think food has the potential to bring people together/unite people with different backgrounds. If we can start to appreciate the diversity in food, why can’t we appreciate the diversity in other cultures? I was a very picky eater growing up, so cooking has opened up a whole new world! Ever since I had my brain surgery, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things. A new hobby is starting to form…

I haven’t talked about this since it happened, but the experience has stuck with me ever since it occurred. It was my first real experience as an ethnic minority. Let me paint the situation, there was a lot of tension between my high school and another local high school. I think one of my classmates got jumped by students from the another local high school, so tensions were high. We had a dance at our school the week the tensions were escalating, so the police were called to our high school to manage any potential situations. I arrived at the dance with my high school girlfriend in my varsity jacket adorned with wrestling and track medals. When I parked my car and walked towards the dance. We were then approached by two police officers with huge maglight flashlights . I was told to stop and immediately return to my vehicle. I had the light shined in my face and started getting showered with questions. This was the first time I had ever spoken to a police officer on duty. I was a new driver so I was already nervous. “What’s your name?” “Do you go to school here?” “Is this your car?” “Where were you before coming here?” “Who were you with before coming here?” While this was going on, all of my friends were arriving and calmly strolling into the gym, wondering what was going on. I remember being alone with the officers thinking, “This is embarrassing, I’m just trying to go to this dance.” My dad recently got the car and hadn’t added my name to the registration, so when they ran the records, my name didn’t show up. The officers radioed the station to contact my parents at home even though we had the same last name to verify we were related! I was shocked that I was being singled out. It seemed matter of fact, but the way they were questioning me was extremely forceful. How come none of the other students were being interrogated? Why was so much time being spent on me? I was the only student that was stopped and interrogated the whole night. I had never felt so different. I was a straight “A” student, champion athlete, and student leader, BUT I was the ONLY ONE that got interrogated the whole night! None of that mattered to the officers. To them I was a trouble maker. I realized that the only thing the police saw was the color of my skin, they could have cared less about everything else. Other classmates would get drunk or high in the parking lot before dances, but I always played by the book. I never got in trouble and in elementary school I was mocked for being a “goodie-goodie.” For the first time in my life, I felt like I was different and I was being judged for it. Until then, I knew I was different but it was never held against me. No guns were drawn and there were no acts of violence, but I definitely felt singled out. I couldn’t enjoy myself the rest of the night. That event made me realize that I was truly different. No matter what I accomplished, I was always going to be the non-white kid trying to fit in. First impressions are affected by preconceived notions. The color of your skin is one of the first things people notice when meeting new people. Being exposed to people and cultures that are different than your own at a young age can help, but ultimately it will come down to personal interactions. I’ve noticed that there is little interaction between different communities. Why is that?

First impressions are instinctive. I get that. Whenever I travel to different countries, I get A LOT of stares and curious looks because I use a wheelchair/scooter or crutches to get around. There are times when I wish people would stop staring and just talk to me. First impressions generally stick until they are disproven. Again, I am faced with preconceived notions, not only as a person of color, but also as a person with a visible physical disability. I’m viewed as either “someone who deserves your pity” or an “inspirational hero who can do no wrong”. It is human nature to develop personal opinions, but I’m unsure how to address this issue of preconceived notions. I think that perhaps early exposure/meaningful face to face interaction could make things easier. This is why I like interacting with students and kids. They are not yet set in their ways. They can be taught. It will be up to the youngest generations to change these preconceived notions. These are some historic times, so it will be interesting to see how race relations play out. They cannot be ignored any longer.

As a Filipino-American and Asian Pacific Islander American, I understand why the #BlackLivesMatter movement is so important and fully support it! While my negative experiences with the police pale in comparison to other people, the #BlackLivesMatter experiences need to be recognized. I’m glad they are being shared. Under represented populations need to show support for each other. The next step is rectifying the occurrences. Personally, I would like to see more positive interactions between different communities. Perhaps law enforcement academies need to do more community outreach. Or perhaps update their curriculum. Food and sporting events are the only things I can think of that have the potential to bring people of color and law enforcement officials together. Suggestions?