My name is Ann-Marie and I am in my senior year at CSUDH. I will be graduating in May of this year. I can honestly say I do not have a favorite food because I love all types of food from so many different counties of origin such as Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Middle eastern, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, Salvadorian, Mexican, and American. I enjoy trying new and different foods whenever I can. But no matter what I can always be found eating tacos. There are so many different types of tacos from hard to soft, various meats and toppings. Tacos are great because they are a finger food, filling, have many variations, and can be purchased or homemade easily. The food selfie that I am posting is from a lunch date with my husband at a hole in the wall place called, El Taco Man, in El Monte. We both work near by and once in a while meet there for lunch. We usually share our meals because of me… I have a hard time choosing what I want to eat. So here we ordered three items from the menu. First was 4 tacos of aside meat with some onion and cilantro toppings and red salsa and lemons. We also ordered 3 potato tacos that are topped with cabbage and queso fresco. Lastly, we ordered a torta (Mexican sandwhich) of asada that comes layered with refried beans, lettuce, and tomato. We shared all three, they were so satisfying and delicious. I know that not everyone is into sharing their food but it’s really great to share because you can enjoy different items and don’t have to stick to just one.

Hi, class!

My name is Crystal but some people call me “Cris” for short (I guess saying a name with 2 syllables is too much work?). I am currently a senior at CSUDH as an American Studies major. My last semester is Fall 2020. I am very excited to finally finish school as it has been a long journey for me. I’ve always worked at least two jobs and dealt with some health issues so I’ve had to take many “breaks”, some longer than others so this has prolonged my graduation date. For that reason, I am forever grateful for the IDS program as it fits my needs as a working adult. One thing I’ve learned though is we each go through our own journey and going at our own pace is A-ok! After all, life is a marathon, not a race, yet I know it can often feel that way sometimes. But really, who are we racing against and where is the finish line? Where is this ticking time bomb that if we don’t finish things in x amount of time it will suddenly go off and the world will end? The road to graduation can sometimes be challenging so with that being said, congratulations to everyone in this class for going to school, whether you’re graduating this semester or next year or the year after that. The point is, you each took the first step in obtaining an education and you will get there soon. It is happening already!

I’m not quite sure what I would like to be known for in this class but I always hope to leave a positive impression on others. As I’ve once read a quote from Maya Angelou:

“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

I like this quote because I tend to say and do many silly, and sometimes embarrassing, things so I’m glad people will forget that for the most part (I hope). As for how I make people feel, it is my mission to achieve world peace by making others smile just like tacos make me smile.

Tacos are an extremely popular Mexican dish enjoyed by people of different cultures. It consists of a small round bread called a tortilla and is filled with diced meat. There are many toppings that can be added to a taco such as cilantro, onions, lemon, radish, and red or green salsa (choosing which salsa to add is the hardest part when making a taco).

Homemade.

From attending family parties with a taquero (and crying when I’d get there late as I missed out on those tacos) and going to the infamous King Taco Restaurant in East Los Angeles at 3 am with friends, tacos have played a significant role in my life. It has become part of my lifestyle especially since I live in Los Angeles where almost every corner has a taco stand. One of my greatest memories with tacos has been when I use to live in the dorms at another college and would make tacos with my floormates. Tacos really brought us all together as a family and having them homemade was the best since we often got sick of eating out (or having cup noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

I once attempted to make my own tacos and was nervous about it since I really don’t know how to make food. I decided to just go for it so I got in my car and drove to Whole Foods. I picked up some small gluten-free tortillas, “vegan” ground beef, onion, cilantro, and some already made salsa. I seasoned the vegan “beef” with pepper and topped it off with some lemon. Although these were not the “traditional” tacos, they were just as good as street tacos and were very beginner-friendly! Making these tacos have been one of my greatest achievements in life.

Good evening everyone, my name is Veronica or Vee for short.  This is my very first semester at CSUDH after finishing my AA degree at Los Angeles Pierce College.  I have to admit, going thru Pierce’s PACE program was intense, demanding, yet rapidly rewarding.  Can’t wait to be able to say the same about this program in two years or less, when I find myself surrounded by some of you as we each take our turns to walk proudly across that stage celebrating our hard earned accomplishments.  That evening like every other festivity our family celebrates will end at non other than our all time favorite dinning location California’s well known In-N-Out

Now you cant call yourself a Southern Californian if you have not at the very least tried or like me, love the In-N-Out’s cheeseburger and animal style fries… Mmmm the delicious fresh fries that are never too salty or too bland, topped with melting Tillamook Cheddar Cheese their special sauce and grilled onions for those that like to give their food an extra spicy kick ask them add some yellow peppers and you will find the peppers sliced on top of your fries.  Be ready with your drink tho because you never know when those peppers are mild or too hot to handle.  Now let’s not forget about their juicy hamburger patties which I find the raw onion giving it a better taste to my burger than the grilled onions that my sisters always chose for theirs and although I have always been a traditional buns on my burger kind of girl I can’t deny that the protein style (lettuce wrapped) is just as tasty and keto friendly too.

Many will say, “this is just another burger place” the truth is, it is in fact “just another burger place” but for me this iconic burger place, smell, and taste is also tied to a set of parents that would share one meal so that they could afford to buy each of their 5 children a meal each and listen to us talk and enjoy our delicious burgers. Til this day none of my siblings can eat In-N-Out without bringing our parents with us or making sure we take them each a meal.  Family that what this Burger is all about!

Hello! My name is Barbara and I am a senior at CSUDH.  This should be my last semester at CSUDH and should graduate this May.  The one thing I could never eat enough of is Dulce de Leche.  I love it on all of my desserts.  I have been eating Dulce De Leche since before I was born.  It is heavenly and silky and makes me so happy when I eat it.

Hello everyone, my name is Alejandra but people call me Ale. This is my second semester here at DH and I transferred from Santa Monica College. I am a first generation student and the oldest of four. My parents were born in El Salvador but I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Hopefully I will graduate soon if life does not get in the way like it has been but I am determined to get my bachelors and maybe move on to get my masters.

I have many favorite foods that I can say is better than another. I love every food and it depends what mood i’m in to have that day. Being on a diet has always been difficult for me since I am always thinking about food more than anything.

I would say one of my favorite side dishes is Kimchi. I am absolutely obsessed with it and the best kimchi I have ever tasted has been my mother in laws. I would like for her to teach me someday but it is a several day process. I love the fermented vinegary taste it has that compliments the meat I eat it with. I love the crunch of the Napa cabbage and how it’s the perfect level of spiciness. I also love that the longer you have it, the better it tastes. My addiction to kimchi sometimes gets out of control when I go to Korean Barbecue and I bring my own jar sometimes so I do not bother the waiters to keep bringing me some. Even my mother in law is shocked by how quickly I eat the many pounds of kimchi she has given me.