The Manhattan Beach Unified School District annual International Day at Manhattan Beach Middle School offered the community an opportunity to experience different cultures through traditional foods, live music, and interactive activities.
The district event took place on May 8, with attendance being limited to MBUSD students, staff, and their families. The cultural groups showcased at the event were Scotland, Peru, Iran, Israel, Canada, France, India, Russia, Sweden, Serbia, Malaysia, South Korea, United States of America, Japan, Chile, Pakistan, Colombia, West Africa, Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Armenia, and Thailand.
Many individuals who ran booths viewed the event as an opportunity to educate others on their unique culture through food. “It is one of the few ways students can learn and immerse themselves in a variety of different cultures at once,” said sophomore Jordyn Bak, who ran the booth representing South Korea. “I hope this lets students have a more open mind as they try a variety of different activities and food.”
Several programs featured at the event sought to build appreciation and highlight the positive aspects of underrepresented cultures.
“A big part of the program is to increase exposure and education to positive experiences of African culture, because there are so few opportunities for people of all backgrounds to do that,” said Darryl Franklin, Founder of Benkadi. “And that is what Benkadi is about, is giving people who aren’t exposed to African culture, the opportunity to have fun and learn about it.”
International Day event organizers and participants hoped to unify MBUSD students, staff, and the local community as a whole. “I think exposure to other people’s heritage is a fundamental stepping stone to empathy and understanding,” Franklin said. “Kids are leaving here today knowing at least one more fact about Africa when they walked in. And that, for me, is meaningful.”
Benkadi provides an educational and interactive activity for people at International Day.
(Photo by Chloe Lee)
