On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Manual students came together to share their different backgrounds with the school during the annual Multi-Cultural Fair.
The Multi-Cultural Fair began with students showcasing cultural cuisine, games and information through their respective booths during lunches. A group representing African culture through the African Student Association displayed foods from different countries in Africa, including Libya and Nigeria.
“A lot of times African culture is overlooked, people just talk about African people as in history or books,” Trinity Evanson (12, HSU) said. “But our culture is very much prominent, alive, fun and beautiful. I want people to be able to partake in that and see what it’s like.”
Another booth showcased Vietnamese culture, sharing Cà Phê Sữa đá, a drink similar to iced coffee. In addition, the booth provided the recipe and ingredients so students could make it at home.
The team of Vietnamese students worked hard giving out Cà Phê Sữa đá, while also educating the students stopping by on their culture and its prominence in the United States.
“I grew up in an immigrant Vietnamese household, so I have a lot of connections and I put a lot of time into my culture. Vietnam isn’t a big country, but we do have a large population here in America. So it’s important for people to learn about,” Tammy Truong (11, VA) said.
While students were busy in the small gym, other groups were preparing their dances in the auditorium. Ten different groups of students across many cultures performed twice in front of Manual students. The performances included Bollywood, Classical Indian, KPOP, Polynesian, Latin American and Mexican dances.
The group Masala Masti represented Indian culture, performing a variety of dances that are popular across the South Asian country. They included Bollywood, Punjabi Bhangra and South Indian dance styles. Other groups and dancers representing India included Rai’Ana, DMHS Dhoom, Dilisha and Avika, Kruthi Mangamur (12, MST), Indian GirlZ and Siddhi Rajput.
“Our school and country are both so diverse, I have friends who aren’t Indian who are dancing with our team because that’s something that they care about and it resonates with them,” Shohan Sen (12, MST) said.
To showcase Hispanic culture, KY Boyz performed a popular Mexican dance, and members of Manual’s Latin American/Hispanic Student Organization (LAHSO) and allies performed a traditional Salsa Rueda, a Cuban salsa where dancers move around a circle and periodically switch partners.
To close off the Multi-Cultural Fair, students representing South Korea danced to a mix of KPOP songs. The performers felt that it was important to emphasize that South Korean culture isn’t just popular bands like BTS, showing Manual students different aspects of Korean music.
“One of [Manual’s] pillars is diversity. I feel like everybody should know who goes here and what Manual is made of,” Masala Masti dancer Sargun Kaur (12, HSU) said.
