The free festival will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
Editorial is the opinion of Morgan Hill Life
We live in a world with a diversity of cultures that can make life far more interesting for all of us. One excellent way to build the character of young people is to give them plenty of opportunities to learn about the different styles of life found throughout the human family.
We encourage families to join in the fun at the inaugural Morgan Hill International Celebration. The free festival will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.
Sponsored by the Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission, the celebration is a way to “visit” various countries (without the hassle of traveling) and experience examples of their various cultural activities through music, dance, arts and crafts and cuisine. It’s slogan is “Under One Sky, We’re One Morgan Hill Family.”
To encourage public safety, the event will be held outdoors in the Downtown Amphitheater plaza. Countries that will be represented by local performing arts groups and food trucks include Mexico, Ireland, Ukraine, Latin America, Puerto Rico, Bali, India, Latin America and several others. There will also be arts and crafts vendors. A Youth Art Show will showcase the creative talent of local children ages 5 to 13.
“In the last few years too many things have separated us and this is just the type of event with its sharing and celebrating of our cultural diversity that will bring us all closer together,” said Poonam Chabra, a member of the LCAC. “The universal language of music and the performing arts transcends borders. You will be dazzled, entertained, and educated by the performances that have been lined up representing countries from all over the globe that make up the community of Morgan Hill.”
Exposing children to a multitude of cultures is an important part of growing up — especially as America grows increasingly diverse. As young people become adults and go off to college and build their careers, they will find they will be working in jobs where they will meet people from many different lands who have cultural perspectives different from theirs.
Children who grow up with a narrow view of the human race will have a much harder time accepting people from different backgrounds — and this will work against them in almost every social setting as well as in their jobs. Adults who understand the common humanity that connects us all have an advantage in the job world.
In Morgan Hill, we are lucky that we don’t have to travel very far to be enriched and educated by the global cultures of Silicon Valley.
The International Celebration is a wonderful way to bring families together and showcase in a fun afternoon outing the diversity of our human family.
