This spring, the Multicultural Celebration is returning to bring together all the cultures at Malden High School. The Multicultural Celebration, hosted by the Multicultural Club, is an annual event for the Malden community to share cultural foods, traditions, activities and perspectives.
For the past five years, the event has taken place at Malden High School and is open for students, staff and the collective community to participate in. The Celebration consists of various festivities from cultural display tables to delicious meals from cuisines around the world that serve to engage the Celebration’s attendees in Malden’s ethnic diversity. Students as well as local businesses are involved in the Multicultural Celebration where they prepare dishes representative of their culture for the community to enjoy and experience.
Yahara Marquez, advisor to the Multicultural Club and Celebration, explained that the function was inspired by the notorious diversity at MHS. Students of the Multicultural Club always talked about the diversity but questioned themselves, “What do [they] do to celebrate the diversity [at MHS]? How do [they] get students and families and such involved in appreciating other people’s cultures as well as celebrating [their] own cultures,” expressed Marquez. The celebration was then created wherein it promotes cultural awareness and acceptance among all ages and heritages.
Marquez believes that cultural exposure is necessary, mentioning that understanding, working and appreciating ethnic diversity “creates those relationships that are necessary for a successful environment.” Considering that Malden is a melting pot of cultures, it is a goal of the celebration to bring together people of all backgrounds to learn something new about the people that surround them.
Aside from the food, entertainment and cultural exchange, the Multicultural Celebration also has a competition that awards a cash prize ranging from $75-$150 for the best dishes of the night. The competition adds to the vast amount of exciting activities the Multicultural Celebration has to offer. “[Marquez] really like[s] to see the amount of people that show up” and added that “although it’s called a ‘multicultural’ celebration, it ends up being a celebration.”
This year’s Multicultural Celebration will be held in Cafe A at MHS during the evening of Friday, May 13. The Multicultural Club is still taking registrations to partake in the event up until Friday, Apr. 29. Applications are available outside of Marquez’s room. Tickets are being sold for $7 in advance and $10 at the door to enjoy the celebration.
