With 20 different countries, 20 different cultures and 20 different experiences for students ranging from third through sixth grade, it was a “globe” of fun.
Leona Cox Elementary School hosted its 16th annual Multicultural Day and everywhere children and parents looked there was a new country to explore.
Booths were lined up with all kinds of food, artifacts, instruments and history that could fill up a library.
Sixth-grade teacher Kristina Puth began Multicultural Day because she is from Australia and moved the United States when she was in third grade.
“I just remember that experience being so shocking even though I was coming from an English-speaking country. It was very different for me. And the kids are always amazed that I have that immigrant experience as some of them do,” Puth recalled.
One mother has been a part of the special event for 12 years now, but this one will be her last year. However, Andreia Ferreira had one more run with her daughter, sixth-grade student Adriana Brito, participating with different pieces of Brazilian culture.
Ferreira brought Brazilian gemstones, instruments, Guaraná, an apple-berry soda, and the well-loved Brigadeiros, a chocolate candy that Ferreira herself says makes any Brazilian child’s birthday party a party, to name just a few.
“There’s a lot more for them to explore, not just where they live or their culture or their parents’ culture. So, there’s a lot more to explore and just open their eyes to see what’s out there,” Ferreira said.
One of the main goals of Multicultural Day is to celebrate all cultures and expose children to different types of people and places.
“I think it’s important because we’re all different. We all come from different places,” said fourth-grade teacher Jennifer Twitchell. “We all have different backgrounds and to be able to share and have children share their point of view and their perspectives, what they do in their homes and bring that to an educational setting. It allows us all to celebrate the diversity that we share.”
Other countries that were represented included India, Poland, the Philippines and Ecuador, and children were lined up to explore the culture through food, music and what makes the country unique.
Liliane Khalil, who made all the foods from Lebanon herself, believes that events like this help children feel valued in who they are.
Khalil made Dubai chocolate, bread with Zaatar (a Middle Eastern blend of different spices), roasted chickpeas with sugar and Barazek (a sesame and pistachio cookie).
“They will feel valued, they will feel appreciated, and they also get to showcase their culture without being afraid of just presenting who they are,” Khalil said.
With so much Lebanese history all over the table, Khalil took pride in talking about her culture and that of her children, third grader Celine and sixth grader Fares Chiha, and getting the opportunity to expose it to students.
Doing this event for the first time, Lydia Metzli was excited that her daughter, fifth grader Persephone Metzli, wanted to participate and showcase Guatemala’s culture, bringing handmade Guatemalan goods like handbags and mini toy trucks and pollo en crema (creamy chicken) with rice.
Metzli said: “Here, especially at schools like Leona Cox, it’s a mixing pot of so many different cultures. And it’s amazing for the kids to be able to share with one another, just a taste or explain a little bit behind our culture.”
