The S-Curve

Day of Service 2025

Ashton Burnette
Events

The Andrew Davidson & Co., Inc. (AD&Co) DEI Day of Service 2025 provided the opportunity to have fun and support the greater NYC community at the same time. Hosted by the AD&Co DEI Committee, we first gathered at the AD&Co office to prepare backpacks for unhoused students in support of Volunteers of America® Greater New York’s Operation Backpack®. Essential school supplies are being distributed to Elementary, Middle, and High School students. This volunteer activity aligns closely with the AD&Co values of continuous learning and education, and I feel confident that this donation of school supplies will be impactful to these young students.

Operation_Backpack_2025

On to lunch, Jing Fong “has been a New York institution since 1978, specializing in dim sum and Cantonese cuisine.” But what is Dim Sum? As advised by blogger Justine Pang, “Dim sum is a Chinese cuisine, taken from the teahouse culture in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province; in which consist of small plates of Chinese food paired with a hot cup of tea, and accompanied with family and friends.” At one time, Jing Fong occupied a space with 800 seat capacity. The center of the table was filled with fresh, delicious food, and it spins on a lazy susan to allow for easy sharing.

The last stop of the day was to the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). The museum specializes in collecting practical, everyday items that reflect ordinary life, and the magazine exhibit was especially interesting.
 

The Herbalist

The_Herbalist
“In the early days of Chinese medicine in America, Chinese treatment for certain ailments was more effective than Western treatments and didn’t have side effects” - MOCA

 

The Laundry

The_Laundry
Laundry businesses have historically provided a stable and reliable income for many Chinese immigrants who faced exclusion and racism from many other industries.

 

The World of Magazines

The_World_of_Magazines
“Through magazine publishing, a vital form of mass media in the 1990s, Asian Americans editorialized issues central to their lives and depicted themselves in ways that were unimaginable before. Magazine Fever presents stories of Generation X magazines–how they were founded and sustained; how they captured the essence of multiculturalism and Generation X paradigms, and how they impacted the ways Asian American identity is understood today.” - MOCA

 

It was great to experience Chinatown in Manhattan via food, history, and culture. I had the opportunity to purchase two books at MOCA and will follow both MOCA and Jing Fong on social media to continue to support future events!