Multicultural Day at Thomas A. Edison High School

Multicultural Day is one of many days throughout Edison’s Spirit Week in which students of many different cultures and nationalities are able to show and take pride in the places in which they come from. This event provides the opportunity for students to get to understand the cultures and nationalities of other students and what they are about.

In a way, Multicultural Day helps destroy the walls of discrimination and hate that some people may have towards other groups of people. It’s a day that allows people of many different ethnicities and cultural backgrounds to be able to bond together and find out more about each other.

Some of the many young women dressed in their traditional clothing for Multicultural Day at Thomas A. Edison High School.

Some of the many young women dressed in their traditional clothing for Multicultural Day at Thomas A. Edison High School.

There are different ways in which students participated in this event other than wearing their native clothing; some students even brought their native flags and if they were big enough, placed them on their backs as if they were capes. This has the power to symbolize/show that the country in which the student has such a big flag from, can be considered “home.”

When students see their fellow peers participating in Multicultural Day by wearing their traditional clothes or bringing in their native flags from their own foreign cultures, many other students are motivated to do the same and also wear their own traditional clothing. Some of many factors that make a culture unique include: literature and arts, language, religion, beliefs, values, traditions, customs, rituals, cultural activities, and many other things.

According to Michelle Chew, a senior at Edison, “Multicultural Day is a day where everyone can express their cultures to other people that don’t really know that much about them. Also, Multicultural Day is a good event to have at our school because everyone can get to know more about each other.”

Also according to Jonathan Mui, another senior at Edison, “I believe that Multicultural Day is a great way for many people to gather together and be proud to celebrate the many cultures that are found around the world. This day also helps to build respect and peace towards one another despite different cultural backgrounds. This is a very great way to tackle the hatred that cruel individuals spew.”

Some of the many young men dressed in their traditional clothing for Multicultural Day at Thomas A. Edison High School.

Some of the many young men dressed in their traditional clothing for Multicultural Day at Thomas A. Edison High School.

Many people at Edison seem to enjoy Multicultural Day for many different reasons. Since this event doesn’t happen everyday and is only annually, it is anticipated by many students and even staff at school. Students of all cultures and traditions get to dress up in their native clothing that represents where they originally come from.

Many participants of the event agreed to have their pictures taken. Some of these pictures, especially of senior students, will likely go in their yearbook. This way, they can cherish this and many other moments in the future.  

Gloria Mourcous

Hello! My name is Gloria Mourcous. I write for the features section in the Edison Light. In my free time, I enjoy drawing/sketching while listening to music. I also like watching movies and different T.V series. In school, I’m enrolled in the Computer-Aided Design (AutoCAD) / Manual Drafting (MechTech) shop. I decided to be a part of this program because I aspire to pursue architecture and my career in the future.