On April 14, Aragon hosted its second official International Food Fair since the pandemic in Center Court, upholding 17 years of tradition.
The International Food Fair is held every spring, allowing families to share their traditional food and culture with the Aragon community.
“Students, teachers and the wider community are exposed to a range of different cultures, traditions and cuisines,” said event chair Sabrina Ocampo. “[This,] ultimately, can promote cultural awareness, help break down stereotypes and encourage inclusivity and acceptance.”
The Aragon community eagerly awaited the fair and all of the food offerings from across the world.
Culture comes from food, so if we can at least be here celebrating each other’s foods and favorite things, I think that’s a big step in the right direction
“It’s really important when you have communities that eat together and spend time together,” said Principal Valerie Arbizu. “They get to understand each other a little better. Culture comes from food, so if we can at least be here celebrating each other’s foods and favorite things, I think that’s a big step in the right direction.”
Japanese chicken karaage, Filipino pancit and Salvadoran pupusas were just a few of the dishes presented at the event.
“The pupusa was so good,” said freshman Ava Albano. “And the lumpia, like everything, was [too]. The people are really nice [and] the food is so delicious.”
Food was not the only thing showcased at the event. Acapella groups sang and performers shared their cultural dances.
“I performed with Trebles with Angels,” said freshman Sophia Rayes. “It was my first performance with the acapella group, so I was really glad I got to do it, especially performing at an event like the International Food Fair. It was very fun and very enlightening, [and] seeing everyone come together was really special.”
Although the event was met with positive feedback, some felt there were parts of the event that could have been improved upon.
There could [also] be much more diversity and more countries represented
“I think there could be more food for each table, and much more of the same food, because they kept running out,” said sophomore Yuna Irokawa.
Freshman Kate Sato echoed this sentiment.
“The booths [could be] a little bit bigger, and [there could be] more seating because there’s a lot of people,” Sato said. “There could [also] be much more diversity and more countries represented.”
Despite some of the inconveniences this year with organization and food, the fair organizers reduced non-compostable waste.
“This year we decided the [fair] was going green and used all compostable products, including plates, cups, bowls and utensils,” Ocampo said. “Compostable products are traditionally more expensive than non-compostable ones, so we expected to exceed our allotted budget.”
This is what the community needed to get back to some sort of normalcy and we’re absolutely thrilled it surpassed our expectations
After a successful return from the pandemic last year, the event was met with an overall positive response.
“After the two year hiatus it was important now, more than ever, to ensure we were able to hold the food fair,” Ocampo said. “This is what the community needed to get back to some sort of normalcy and we’re absolutely thrilled it surpassed our expectations.”
