Qinglu Lu

The purpose of this study is to identify and explore the reasons for the popularity of boba, or bubble tea. In the United States over the past 30 years, boba, a tea-based beverage with toppings, has gone from a niche Taiwanese beverage to a mainstream iconic cultural symbol for Asian Americans. The word boba has also become a widely used if controversial word in this community in discussing the unique cultural traits of immigrants. It is hoped that the beverage as a cultural symbol will cause people to notice and reexamine "Asian-ness." Overall, it's a matter of “becoming” and how people choose to identify themselves. See more on the Bobavue website.