Sixth international food fair teaches about diversity at Aragon

Aragon’s 6th annual International Food Fair was held on Friday, October 29, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the large gym. It featured foods from China, India, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, France, Peru, Italy and the Pacific Islands. Assistant principal Joe Mahood says, “The International Food Fair is a gathering where students and parents alike from different ethnic groups can share their cuisine with the rest of the school.”

This year, the International Food Fair hosted a variety of performances. The Aragon Jazz Ensemble and the Chamber Orchestra began the entertainment. The Filipino group performed one dance, and the Pacific Islander group performed two. The Filipino group’s dance was a Tinikling bamboo dance.

Junior Anna Maka, who participated in the Tinikling dance, says, “Our inspiration was the want to share our culture with the rest of the school.” Fellow dancer Alessandra Labrador adds, “We are very lucky, because people in the Bay Area are very accepting. If we lived in another state we might not have been able to express ourselves this way.”

The general consensus among students seems to be that the Fair does achieve its educational goal. Junior Jennifer Quezada, who helped serve food at the Guatemala booth, says, “You become more aware of different types of food that define the country. You learn more by coming here.”

Mike Loy started the International Food Fair 6 years ago when he noticed that there was very little school spirit at Aragon, and there were no parent groups in the PTA. Loy says, “There were just active Caucasian families, no diversity whatsoever.” To remedy that, Loy started the Latino club, the Indian club, the Asian club, and the Pacific Islander club.

While many students believe the fair to be a success, some students feel the Fair is too reliant on parent groups. Gurjote Bolaria, a server at the India Booth says, “What this fair needs is parents who aren’t involved in the PTSO to get involved in the Food Fair. The parents are more involved than the students, and this is an event to promote the students’ cultural diversity. It takes away from the experience.”

Nevertheless, most attendants feel that the Fair still does its job of promoting diversity and understanding. Bandong says, “It teaches diversity in a very subtle way: through food. People have racial cliques, but once they have a fair like this, it softens the boundaries. The fair is a great venue for promoting peace and understanding and good relationships.”

Student Services Officer Dounia Kardosh sums up the fair, saying, “The families are proud of the work, the preparation. It’s a showcase for Aragon [that] shows how we can put borders aside.”