Texas A&M’s annual multicultural event, Fusion Fiesta, hosted in collaboration with the A&M Hispanic Presidents’ Council, the Asian Presidents’ Council and the Black Student Alliance Council, was filled with a wide array of represented cultures, organizations and performances from countries around the world.
With a purpose to educate individuals about different traditions and cultures within the student body, Fusion Fiesta held its annual celebration in the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, on Nov. 10. Many students packed the house to take part in the event and gathered together for the goal of cultural awareness.
The event included a large quantity of student-lead cultural organizations, with a total of 27 booths set up, for the celebration of the 14th year of this diversified event, Fusion Fiesta organizer and English senior Jaelyn Lynch said.
“This is when all the different cultural organizations are in one space,” Lynch said. “I feel like this is an opportunity for students to get exposed to organizations that are on campus because there are so many of them.”
Multicultural inclusion was a major theme pertaining to this campus-wide celebration. Students got to experience awareness and learn more about the backgrounds that make up A&M’s student body.
Sponsored by The Association of Former Students and administered by Multicultural Services of A&M’s Division of Student Affairs, attendees were able to engage and experience firsthand a representation of diversity offered on campus.
“It’s basically just a reflection of the different ways we grew up, and we’re taught to have this pride in where we come from and who we are,” Lynch said. “So I think these cultural things are important because when you’re put into a new environment sometimes people like to remove from their culture, and this [the event] just kind of reinforces the fact that culture is everywhere you look.”
This was the first time in over a year this event has been held in person due to COVID-19.
“I hope students, from our booth specifically, gain understanding that being able to explore and engage in these cultures is really a privilege and an honor,” attendee Amy Williamson, Intercultural Specialist for Aggies to Aggies, or A2A, said. “I want students to hold this in reverence and appreciate it.”
The event aimed to represent the majority of cultures including Asian, Black or African American and Hispanic backgrounds. Organizations were given the opportunity to creatively and artistically display their countries. It also offered opportunities to experience cross-cultural communication on a student-based level.
“I think diversity at this school is everything. Part of the reason I wanted to come to this school was because I wanted to increase the diversity,” RK Gonzalez, management information systems sophomore, representing the Philippines Student Association, said. “Personally for me, I did not see a lot of people like me at this school, and so I wanted to step in and show other people that this school is really inclusive, the student body is great and there are so many different perspectives and backgrounds.”
Many performers made an appearance, including Sifu Love, “The Wellness Warrior,” and the event featured a variety of cultures represented in the food selection. Raffle tickets were also given out at the door, and different prizes were announced throughout the event.
“They always like to invite the different cultural organizations to have booths, and maybe some performances, and we like to blend the food as well. That way, if you’ve never tried something you can try it here and meet the other orgs and hopefully connect with them as well,” Lynch said.
Many students, including health junior Venessa Mak and university studies sophomore Esther Blecher, said they were particularly unaware of some of the opportunities and culturally based organizations offered at A&M.
Students commented on how they were particularly unaware of some of the opportunities and culturally-based organizations offered at A&M. The represented associations clarified their extent of memberships to all ethnicities. They invite all students to participate in the spread of diversity, with inclusion, on campus.
“Events like this are important because of more awareness of cultural diversity,” Mak said. “It’s also an opportunity to meet other people that you don’t see on a regular basis, going to a predominantly white university, it’s cool seeing other cultures and learning.”
