The United States is a country that emphasizes multiculturalism and assimilation of different ethnic groups while maintaining national unity. With so many individuals that make up the population, it isn’t a surprise that we begin to blend harmoniously into a common culture that defines Americans. However, this doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate the individual heritages and cultures that are contributing to our society. We want to learn more and appreciate all cultures! This is where you can help all of us out.
Do you have a talent that shows your pride in your heritage? Do you want to learn more about yours or other cultures? Then you should consider participating or attending One World Concert, an event that has been established back in 2012 by International Committee chair Payal Choudhary of Associated Graduate Students, or AGS. This event provides a platform for various nationalities to come together to showcase their cultural background. Ever since then, the event has come back annually, with our 7th annual One World Concert being planned for spring of 2018! This is an event with great success that has been growing in number every year. In fact, the OC Register published an article back in 2014 about the event as well.
Graduate, undergraduate, and even faculty members from Japan, China, India, Spain and other countries exhibit many different performances. There have been martial art performances, showcasing wushu from China and capoeira from Brazil. In past events we’ve had performers sing Catalan songs or Polish operas. We’ve also seen Kathak and Mongolian dances. If you don’t know much about the things listed above, don’t worry about it! This is why One World Concert exists. This event provides a platform to learn and appreciate the different cultures that make up our university population. With recent events, it is even more critical that we bring cultural awareness to our student population to show why we are truly “one world”. I hope to see all of you during spring at One World Concert!