Bradley’s Asian American Association (AAA) hosted its first-ever Maid Cafe event last weekend. Male members of the club dressed up as maids and served treats to students as a nod to Japanese culture.
Alex Nguyen, AAA’s president, described the event as a unique occasion.
“It is meant for people to be able to experience a life that they normally wouldn’t be able to,” Nguyen, senior manufacturing engineering major, said.
In partnership with K18, Bradley’s K-pop cover dance group, the Garrett Center was transformed into a cafe, complete with paper doilies on tables, karaoke, games and a photoshoot with the maids.
Laughs could be heard echoing throughout the room as the maids walked around in their skirts, serving treats and beverages.
“This was ultimately something [where] everybody in the club unanimously was like, ‘We should do this,’” Nguyen said. “We wanted to do something that everybody was involved with and everybody thought was a great idea.”
Maid cafes are a popular establishment in Japan where one is served treats and drinks by women dressed up as maids. The maids often perform dances and offer gifts as part of the experience.
“This entire concept, I believe, has not been done before here on campus,” Nguyen said. “[That’s] especially because having a lot of guys dressed up as maids is not something that you see on a day-to-day basis — not really gender norm conforming. We wanted to break those bounds.”
Nitzy Martinez, a junior television arts and Spanish double major, performed at the event with K18.
“Seeing all the guys dressed up in maid outfits and taking it so seriously has been the best part,” Martinez said.
Attendance at the event was made up of students who had never before heard of a maid cafe and those who were well in the know.
“I came for the atmosphere; maid cafes are very popular in Japan, so it’s just interesting to see that here,” Jared Acido, junior music business major, said.
Several of the students came in their Halloween costumes and ate pastries, candies or other snacks typically found in Asia, like Pocky.
Nguyen was pleased with the 120 students in attendance to support the club.
“As an organization, we have struggled in the past with getting members and having a really big following,” Nguyen said. “This last year, we’ve experienced a surge of attendants and new membership that is nothing like we’ve experienced before.”
Andrew Banh, AAA member, was one of the maids for the event. He said it was rewarding to see the number of people that showed up and took pictures with the maids.
“Personally, it made me feel like everything was coming together,” Banh, a junior actuarial science and economics double major, said.
Given the success of its first Maid Cafe, AAA plans to host this event again in the future.
“It’s mostly a side of culture that unless you are really actively a part of and actively searching for, you are not going to find it,” Nguyen said. “It is something that is just completely new for a campus in the middle of Peoria. We want to keep doing that because there is so much culture that nobody gets to understand or see on a day-to-day basis.”
