Unity in Diversity: MX Cultural Festival

A dive into the cultural festival and further our DEI efforts.

Have you ever wanted to try different foods from different cultures while learning more about their traditions? Well, on Friday, October 5th, Middlesex hosted its Cultural Festival in the Stufac. The festival attempts to promote diversity within the student body and provide students with the opportunity to share their unique cultural backgrounds with their classmates. At the fair, around ten groups of students shared their culture with the school, setting up tables representative of their culture. All of the booths included yummy foods from their cultures, fostering better awareness of their traditions.

The Cultural Festival gives minority groups a voice in the Middlesex community and allows them to be seen, valued, and celebrated. In such a small, tight-knit community, it is important for everyone to celebrate each other’s identities, educate each other about our backgrounds, and promote diversity within our community. Events like the Cultural Festival are crucial for creating a space of inclusivity, allowing students to learn and understand the cultures outside of their own. 

Through this festival, Middlesex faculty and students are able to appreciate the unique and special aspects of each other’s cultures while also recognizing the similarities between them. In addition, the festival gives students a chance for individual expression and to proudly display and share their culture with others. This celebration of our diversity also breaks down cultural barriers, creating a more inclusive community through the appreciation of each other’s traditions and customs.

But, of course, it is impossible for a school to not face any issues. Within the Middlesex community, even with all of our efforts, such as the Cultural Festival, we still face many challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, even if they are unintentional. For example, many people don’t participate in events like the Cultural Festival because they are scared of being ridiculed and made fun of. Despite attempts at sharing cultures, many people remain uneducated, and microaggressions still occur on campus—a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do.

As a community, we should work together to keep everyone educated and aware of respect towards different cultures, such as what things are offensive to say and what is not. We should also celebrate our uniqueness and the significance of a united community. By working together to promote awareness, Middlesex will be able to share the beauty of our cultures.

Allison Luo