By: Thrisha Kumar
The annual Oak Creek Multicultural Night, hosted by the Multicultural Club on April 28th, was an amazing night highlighting cultures from across the world. With over 100 attendees, the support from the community was tremendous!
One highlight from this event was the various cultural displays. From China to Mexico, a multitude of cultures and groups were represented. The various displays included a combination of pictures, descriptions, cultural artifacts, and food samples that provided a snapshot of each culture’s uniqueness. Multicultural Club partnered with German Club and Spanish Club to offer further insight into the variation of language and its impact on culture.
Food always brings people together and it was no exception here! There were a variety of foods served at the event:
- Baklava — a dessert originating in the Middle East made of phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey
- Murukku — a savory, crunchy snack originating from Southern India
- Empanadas — a baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling
- Jamaican Jerk Rolls — rolls with a special seasoning of chicken
Art was another important aspect of this event. There were booths for henna painting and origami where attendees could learn about the style and try to make their own artwork. Another booth taught the game of Mancala, originating from East Africa. In addition to these booths, there were two community art pieces that brought all of the cultures together. The first was a handprint tree where interested guests could print their hands with paint on a canvas. The second was a world map for the cultural night attendees to mark where they are from with colored pins.
The large cafeteria in the NGC was filled with various performances. The schedule included Ghurba dancers from Arab/Palestinian folklore; Bharatanatyam dancers from the Indian region of Tamil Nadu; Lion dancers from China in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune; and Vietnamese fan dancers where the dancers imitate flowers gliding gently in the breeze.
With so much bad going on in the world these days, this inclusive and enlightening experience was refreshing and positive. Overall, the cultural displays, activity booths, community projects, and live performances made Oak Creek’s cultural night a truly exciting, informational, and tasty experience.
Sword and Shield 