We are the world … here are our cultures
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 16, 1995 9:00 p.m.
We are the world … here are our cultures
From Afro-Brazilian jazz to an authentic Hawaiian luau,
WorldFest ’95 celebrates dance, music, traditions and food from
around the globe
By John Mangum
Daily Bruin Staff
Words like multiculturalism and diversity turn up frequently in
conversations all over the UCLA campus. People debate the merits of
affirmative action with passion and vehemence throughout the
country.
How does WorldFest fit into all of this?
"There’s a lot of tension right now," says Audrey Chen, co
-director of UCLA’s WorldFest ’95. "Sometimes the tension is
between different groups, but this goes beyond ethnic groups.
"It can stem from the fact that people don’t understand what the
other group is about. That’s the purpose of WorldFest. We hope that
people will see another group in a different light."
WorldFest, which begins today and continues through Saturday,
presents a tremendous amount of programs which introduce a
multitude of cultures. These range from lectures on topics such as
environmental justice to a Hawaiian luau, complete with hula.
An International Food Fair and a performance by the
Afro-Brazilian jazz group Brasil Brazil kick off the week today at
noon at Westwood Plaza. This evening at 5 p.m., the festival’s
keynote speaker, Santiago Rodriguez, gives a presentation titled
"The Educational Challenge of Diversity" at the Northwest Campus
Auditorium.
"I’m really excited about Santiago Rodriguez," says WorldFest’s
other co-director, Yayoi Robinson. "He’s a very popular speaker. I
enjoyed his lecture when I heard him last fall because he could
assert so much that is hard to talk about being a first generation
college student.
"He drew on his experiences as a migrant worker. He had
something to say to everybody."
This universal appeal seems to be a common theme that runs
throughout the week’s activities. Everyone can identify with
something because the festival presents the cultural achievements
of societies from around the world.
"UCLA is one of the most diverse campuses in the United States,"
Robinson says. "Being in the city of Los Angles makes this
diversity possible. It’s important to have this kind of festival on
campus, because the programs represent the student body."
The co-directors display a little bit of diversity themselves.
Robinson is a world arts and cultures student, while Chen studies
psychobiology.
The week reflects the unique nature of their interests. For
example, as part of the week’s lecture series, Chen organized a
forum to discuss traditional and non-traditional medicine.
"The medicine forum took off from the idea that there are other
issues," explains Chen. "You can show culture through performance
or through discussion. We also wanted to expand who would attend
the different events."
The addition of Saturday as WorldFest’s "Family Day" happened
with this goal in mind. The day includes performances and
demonstrations, culminating with the luau in Ackerman Grand
Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.
"We wanted to have an event that UCLA students could bring their
families to," Robinson says. "There’s going to be life-size
puppets, storytelling for children, food, and arts and crafts
workshops."
"We decided to hold a family day," Chen adds, "because UCLA is
made up of staff and faculty. The family day showcases the entire
week  it’s like a mini-festival."
Perhaps in this sense, the day was intended to thank the staff
for their support of WorldFest. Chen points out that the often
tense situation between staff and students is another forum where
WorldFest can help groups better understand each other.
"One of the things that I think marked this year’s WorldFest was
that we worked closely with a lot of staff offices," Chen says. "I
think there’s a lot of tension between staff and students, but our
relationship with the staff wasn’t a power struggle. It was a
partnership."
The results of this partnership can be seen in the variety of
activities and performances planned for the week. This wide
spectrum tries to encompass as many traditions as possible, giving
members of the UCLA community an opportunity to broaden their
experience.
"We wanted to show traditional forms of culture and how they
evolved," Chen says. "It’s important to show that culture isn’t
stagnant.
"Every culture is different, but at the same time, a lot of
common threads run through them. We want to expose people to as
many different kinds of culture as we can."
Exposure can only help bring people to a better understanding of
one another in this time of buzzwords associated with heritage and
culture.
"I don’t think WorldFest itself solves all these problems," says
Chen, "but it’s a step."
FESTIVAL: WorldFest ’95, April 17-22. For more info call (310)
825-2564.
