IRVINE : Festival Lets Students See Other Lands

Samira Houshiar munched on tahdig --a thin wafer of lightly burned rice layered with a slice of chicken--while listening to a band playing Argentine rock music Wednesday at UC Irvine’s annual cultural festival.

“I don’t know that much Spanish . . . but I think it’s great that students are actively involved in their own cultures,” said Houshiar, 18, a biochemistry freshman who emigrated from Iran in 1986. “It’s important that we don’t lose our cultures because a basic part of our being is our ancestry.”

Several hundred students, faculty and staff stopped by the eighth annual Rainbow Festival events outside the student center to catch dances and music from Asian, Indian, African and other cultures represented among students on campus.

The festival continues today with lectures and workshops on racial equality and the legal system, interracial relationships and a workshop focusing on attitudes among white students who might feel themselves lacking in “culture” or ethnic background.

Wednesday’s Rainbow Festival events were beneficial because they exposed students from diverse backgrounds to each other’s cultural heritage, said Alan Castillo, 20, a computer science major and president of the Kababayan Club of Filipino-American students.

Four Kababayan members received rousing applause for their fast-paced tinikling performance in which dancers thread their feet through bamboo poles being slapped together and spread apart in time to the music.

Although the performances help to expose students to other cultures, performers at the Rainbow Festival reap some of the biggest benefits, said Enrique Jones, 21, the master of ceremonies.

“It’s a way of communicating who they are and a way to express themselves in ways they normally don’t do,” Jones said.

Concluding events on Friday will include a 90-minute workshop on racism and the need for ethnic groups to get along. All Rainbow Festival events are free to the public. For details on workshops or other events, call (714) 856-7215.