By snoadmin
Students, faculty and staff from Cal State Long Beach danced to a collaboration of music from different cultures at the 42nd annual International Dinner and Culture Show hosted by the International Student Association on April 26.
The event highlighted global human social issues, in the spirit of The President’s Forum on International Human Rights this past February.
Yuko Hirose, a journalism major, international student from Japan and the event’s coordinator, said the event showcased cultural diversity and was very student-oriented. The theme of this year was “spirit of humanity,” and its events showed the different cultures found on the CSULB campus.
“We had international dancing, belly dancing, the salsa club from CSULB, the dance team and a Native American Aztec dance,” Hirose said.
Hirose added that the interaction with fellow international students exposed her to fellow study-abroaders and let her tryout her language skills.
“I practiced my French and Spanish,” Hirose said.
Nina Ito, academic coordinator for the American Language Institute, said, “My husband and I were at a table sponsored by University College and Extension Services. I work with international students every day at the American Language Institute, but had somehow never attended this event in the past. We had an excellent view of the stage and enjoyed watching all of the performers. We want to attend every year from now on.”
The show is the last for the adviser of the International Student Association, Kee Chang, who leaving the club at the end of the month. Chang said the event showed that human rights around the world are still relevant to Americans.
“America is still part of the world,” Chang told the Daily Forty-Niner before the show. “It’s not just us and them; it’s we. That’s one thing we forget.”
ISA chose the event’s theme based on recent human rights issues in the world, including the accusations of abuse of the Chinese government in Tibet.
“It’s about human rights, and never to forget that we are the same human beings, and that the color of our skin may be different, but we share the same characteristics,” Hirose said. “There’s still conflict in Iraq and Tibet, and we hope that one day there will be peace.”
