Cooking, Culture, and Refuge: A Hong Kong Initiative Promotes the Inclusion of Asylum Seekers Through Gastronomy
Since 2015, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) has been supporting more than 80 asylum-seeking and refugee families in Hong Kong by providing monthly deliveries of essential goods and educational assistance. In 2024, this effort was strengthened with the launch of the “Kitchen for Friends” initiative, a series of cultural and culinary gatherings aimed at raising awareness of these communities through their knowledge and traditions. “Kitchen for Friends” consists of events where refugee families share their cuisine and culture with approximately 40 attendees, including religious representatives, consular officials, NGO members, and local volunteers.
To date, four editions have been held, focusing on the cuisines of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Yemen, and the Philippines. The fourth edition took place on 4 January at Sing Yin College, hosted by the Filipino Galang family. The menu featured adobong manok, embutido, and puto de queso. They also presented a religious painting, a music video, and stories about their places of origin. The event also provided an opportunity to highlight the challenges they face in Hong Kong, such as the requirement to report weekly to immigration authorities, although Joan Galang stated that she still considers Hong Kong her second home.
Maurice Yeung Kwok-leung, coordinator of the SSVP’s Refugee Services Group, explained that the initiative aims not only to foster personal connections but also to promote a form of social inclusion based on mutual recognition. The initiative also responds to Cardinal Stephen Chow’s call to walk alongside displaced persons.
The SSVP complements its social action with refugees through these gatherings and activities such as camps, talent contests, and recreational days for refugee children.
