Ruchi Shahagadkar

During a News Photography course as a graduate student at Cal, I shot over 1000 photos and turned them into a few photo essays! My final photo essay tells the story of the U.S.'s oldest Chinatown as it lights up every spring for night markets where people from all over the Bay Area come to dance, sing, celebrate, and indulge in culture and food.

For some people, food is unwinding; for some it is gourmet cuisine at high-end restaurants; for some others, it’s the comfort of familiar taste; for some it’s a means of survival and nutrition, and nothing more. For me, it’s emotion. Food reminds me of home, of having people to eat with and share stories with. The smell of garlic sizzling in hot oil, vendors shouting names of dishes they’re selling, the aroma of marinated chicken on the tandoor filling the air, and the soda cans popping open as people begin to vent about their days - these are the things I think of when I think of food. Because in India, soul food is synonymous with street food, and moving to the Bay makes me think that the same is true for San Francisco.

With skyrocketing prices, increasing cost of living and healthcare as well as the spike in crime rates, the general perception of the city as a ‘livable’ one has changed. Events like these are reminders of what the city still excels at - creating spaces for people to embrace their cultures and communities; the ability to make strangers feel welcomed. Bubbles of such spaces have always existed within the city; perhaps, it’s about finding the right ones.