WHIRLWIND WORLDWIDE TOUR
International Festival at UNM has purpose beyond exposure to food, music
International Festival takes UNM students on a global jaunt.
University of New Mexico students took a whirlwind tour around the world Thursday during the annual International Festival, featuring the music, dance, foods, and arts and crafts of countries represented by the school’s foreign students.
Among those countries were Mexico, Spain, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Ecuador, Turkey, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.
The event, sponsored by UNM’s Global Education Office, was held on the mall east of the Student Union Building, where nearly 40 booths were set up by international student groups and community organizations, and where a raised stage highlighted dance and musical performances.
As thousands of students moved through the mall, the aromas of mole and curry wafted through the air. Traditional Bangladeshi dancing unfolded on the stage, followed by Chinese lion dancers who wound their way among the crowds.
“Very colorful,” commented “on-and-off” undergraduate student Dennis Wyler. “I do like the dancing, but I’m really here for the food,” he said, forking his way through a bowl of Jamaican curry chicken with rice and peas.
“I guess the point is to share a bit of each other’s cultures, and I think this does offer a snapshot. You can see the flags of the different countries, people wearing native clothing, dancing and selling handicrafts. But like I said, I’m all about the food.”
Kanan Mammadli, co-president of the Turkish Students Association, was ladling out portions of thick, black, aromatic Turkish coffee.
The festival seems to be growing each year, “But I’d like to see more people attend from the community outside of UNM,” he said.
“This is an important time to explore other cultures and people. There seems to be a dynamic of isolationism going in this country, and the International Festival is an opportunity for people to see who we
are and come talk to us. Opening America to different people from different backgrounds is what makes America great, and it’s the answer to isolationism,” Mammadli said.
Student Nick Fojud observed that “exposing people to things they haven’t been exposed to in the past makes for a more inclusive community, and this festival puts it all in one space.”
UNM has 1,800 international students from 99 countries. Twenty-three of those countries were represented at the festival, said Pablo Torres, director of international admissions for the Global Education Office.
Rather than imposing an ecaonomic burden on our communities, international students attending higher educational institutions in New Mexico contribute $91 million to the state’s economy, Torres said.
“Our foreign students are more sensitive to the tone of the country, and the ban on people from certain countries has had a chilling effect,” Torres said. “The students have expressed concerns about the status of their visas and they wonder if they will be able to stay or if this is going to affect their education and training.”
The International Festival hopefully alleviates some of this anxiety, he said, by “breaking down barriers among people and fostering understanding.”