Conversations in Asian Studies: Dr. Anita Mannur

Originally posted by The Asian Studies Program myUMBC group

The Asian Studies Program is pleased to welcome Dr. Anita Mannur, the Director of American University's Asia, Pacific, and Diaspora Program, to campus for a guest lecture! 

From Pandan Donuts to Masala Chai Ice Cream: Infusing Asian Tastes into the Ethno-Culinary Imaginary

Masala chai ice cream, pandan coconut donuts, and sweet corn bibingka are appearing in Asian American bakeries and scoop shops across the U.S. This talk explores how Gen Z and Millennial chefs are creating a new wave of Asian American confections, distinct from fusion cuisine. The talk invites us to consider how these treats are reshaping Asian American taste-scapes and redefining ethno-culinary traditions.

Anita Mannur is Director of the Asia, Pacific and Diaspora Studies and Professor of Critical Race and Gender Studies at American University. Her research areas are Asian American literature, food studies, transnational South Asia, fashion studies and race and gender studies. She is the author of two monographs, Culinary Fictions: Food in South Asian Diasporic Culture (Temple University Press, 2010) and Intimate Eating: Racialized Spaces and Radical Futures (Duke University Press 2022). She has co-edited several collections including Theorizing Diaspora (2005), Eating Asian America (2010) and Eating More Asian America (2025). Her work appears in several journals including American Quarterly, Cultural Studies, MELUS, Journal of Intercultural Studies, The Journal of Asian American Studies, Gastronomica, Amerasia Journal. She is the former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Asian American Studies and was the 2012 recipient of the Early Career Award from the Association of Asian American Studies and the 2019 winner of the Excellence in Mentoring Award, also from the Association for Asian American Studies.