Beignets from France, lavish Carnaval costumes from Brazil, homemade pasta from Italy, Merengue dancing exhibitions from the Dominican Republic and henna tattoos from India were all on display at Hoboken High School Tuesday as students showed off their heritage at the school’s second annual International Cultural Fair.
Hundreds of students, parents and teachers roamed the floor of the school’s gymnasium with a blue passport booklet in hand. As they approached each table, they got their book stamped, and hopefully along the way learned a thing or two about different countries.
The purpose of the event, which was entirely student-run, was to celebrate global culture by introducing students to the music, stories, customs, dances, arts and crafts and foods of different countries from around the world. This year the students manned more than a dozen booths and tables and dished out information about countries such as Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Panama. Each group of students had to display a map of the country, which languages are spoken, visual elements from the countries such as origami or dances, and cultural elements such as clothing, pottery or paintings. Throughout the event there were a variety of roving entertainers, dancing, and lots of music everywhere.
Proud heritage
For some like Marleny Alonzo, whose family has Guatemalan roots, it was an opportunity to share the country’s traditions, in her case, some tasty gastronomy and music. She dished out some delicious Rellenitos, which are sweetened; refried, black beans that were surrounded by a blanket of mashed plantains and fried to a golden brown. She also gave a demonstration of Marimba Music. A Marimba is a large wooden percussion instrument with resonators, resembling a xylophone. In Guatemala, the marimba is still the national instrument and is a staple of most parties, said Alonzo.
Learning about others
Others like senior Jessica Lomassaro, who chose Ecuador, the International Cultural Fair represented an opportunity to learn about different cultures. While she is Italian, her boyfriend is from Ecuador.
“I’ve always been interested in where he came from and about his heritage,” said Lomassaro. She was wearing a yellow, red and blue dress matching the colors on the Ecuadorian flag. “I have really fallen in love with the food, music and culture.”
In her display she had dozens of articles and pictures about Ecuador, which is the smallest country in the rugged Andean region of South America. She added that Ecuador has an array of vibrant indigenous cultures, well-preserved colonial architecture, stunning volcanic landscapes and dense rainforest. In addition to a love for soccer, she said, the country has a rich tapestry of musical heritage that has been influenced by traditional Andean music, and African rhythms which make use of wind and percussion instruments, including bamboo panpipes, and flutes. She added that crafts include fine examples of basketry, leather work, woodcarving, weaving, ceramics and jewelry.
Just three booths to the right of Lomassaro was freshman John Aviles, who was serving up healthy portions of pasta as part of his display for Italy. “It wouldn’t be Hoboken without a table about Italy,” proclaimed Aviles. Even though he is of Puerto Rican descent, he said that growing up in Hoboken, with its decidedly Italian flavor, has piqued his interest in all things Italian. Aviles is also the secretary of the Hoboken High Italian Club, which is currently raising funds for a trip to Rome next summer.
“There’s just so much history,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to walk around the Coliseum. It’s overwhelming when you think about everything that has happened there.”
A diverse student body
Everyone in the high school was welcome to participate in the fair, but it was organized by the students in the International Baccalaureate program’s senior history class.
“We’re very aware that Hoboken High School is a very diverse place,” said senior Nicole Passenti, who was on the organizing committee. She said that cultural understanding and acceptance is a life skill that will reap benefits well beyond graduation. “The more you learn about other cultures, the easier it will be to get along with people in the real world.”
Paroan Surangkanarom, who last year had a booth for Thailand and this year was on the organizing committee, said that the cultural fair is an opportunity for people to celebrate their heritage. “It’s an outlet for students to proudly display who they are and to teach others a little bit about where they came from,” he said.