IRVINE : A Festival of Cultural Diversity

Under a strong sun, the four-day Rainbow Festival began Monday and turned a corner of UC Irvine near the new student center into a collage of food, folk music and dancing from other countries.

“We try to highlight different cultures,” said Corina Espinoza, director of the campus Cross-Cultural) Center and one of the festival organizers.

With thundering music from an Arabian folk song in the air, she surveyed the crowd of students milling around 20 colorful booths that featured everything from African drums to bonsai trees.

In addition to celebrating cultural diversity, festival organizers planned a day of discussions and seminars Thursday to highlight some of the difficult issues that arise when many cultures live side by side.

“Students for the most part are aware that there are other students different from them,” Espinoza said. “We want people to challenge themselves and ask how (ethnic diversity) affects them.”

This year’s festival theme is “Diversity: Pride or Prejudice.” On Thursday the organizers will host several seminars or discussions on topics such as “Quotas or Qualifications,” “Hate Crimes: When Fear Unfolds,” “Free Speech vs. Correct Speech” and “The New Multi-ethnic Consciousness.”

Some students, like senior Martha Godinez, said they think the festival, which is in its seventh year, is an education in itself. Sitting in front of the stage watching several Indian students model traditional saris, Godinez said the festival is one of the few times she is exposed to the approximately 35 ethnic groups on campus.

“Aside from this, I would not know that there is an Arabian or Asian or Indonesian club,” she said.