GARDEN GROVE : A Cultural Mix Shows Its Diversity

Wearing an exotic Indonesian silk robe, dangling gold earrings and flowers in her waist-length hair, 17-year-old Priscilla Rumantier strutted before several hundred cheering classmates and--moments later--won the Miss International title.

Rumantier and two dozen other girls at Bolsa Grande High School dressed in the traditional fashion of dozens of nations worldwide as part of a pageant designed to promote cultural awareness.

School officials said students at the high school come from more than 40 countries and speak almost as many languages.

“We have many varieties of different countries (represented) in the school,” said Rumantier, 17. “That’s why we did this, to bring everyone together. I think that some of the girls had really nice costumes, so I was really scared. The butterflies were there.”

The pageant was part of International Week at the high school, a celebration of different cultures. “It’s probably a bigger activity now than our homecoming,” said Ron Inman, the school’s activities director. “It’s doubled in size since last year. It’s just mind-boggling how beautiful these costumes are. And 90% of them are original, native costumes.”

Miss Samoa, 18-year-old Tina Vito, said the weeklong celebration of cultural diversity and the Miss International contest “definitely helps.”

“It makes people interested in other countries and broadens their interests,” she said. “Take me, for instance. I found out about other countries like Laos and Thailand.”

Vito--barefoot and dressed in a traditional, Samoan, straw-colored skirt made from tree bark--said the contest not only makes people more understanding of cultural differences but also highlights similarities. Students watch the contest, she explained, and say, “Hey, that’s just like in my culture.”

Other girls wore dresses, including a Marie Antoinette-style brocade, a Scottish tartan plaid, a Ugandan evening dress and an elaborate silk Vietnamese dress.

The girls were judged by a panel of 10 teachers. Costumes were the main criterion, but poise was a factor too.

A throng of classmates applauded from the bleachers in the school gym.

Junior Preston Lemmon, 16, said the program made learning about other nations and cultures fun. “Usually, in history class, you don’t get to see costumes and stuff,” he said. “(There were costumes from) countries I’d never heard of here.”

Throughout the week, which included days devoted to Asian, Pacific Islander, European and Latino cultures, students performed traditional dances of other cultures and created displays depicting life in other nations.

“Most of the school is Vietnamese, but we’re all getting to know one another. This week, we tasted (other cultures’) foods, we saw their dances. It’s very interesting,” said Charise Villanueva, 17.

“It really surprised me,” she said. “I didn’t know that we had such (a diverse group of students) going to this school. I think they’ll have more respect for each other.”