There are many different cultures, beliefs, traditions, and lifestyles everywhere in every person you meet. Along with those differences that make people unique and beautiful in their own ways, there are also so many possible similarities between you and a stranger you walk past on the way to your destination.
Wilsonville High School is just a small community inside another and so on. Learning and sharing the traditions, the arts, and the customs of other cultures is something that all should be eager to learn but just because it should be doesn’t mean it is. We all start somewhere and you can start here, at Wilsonville High School.
Representation of cultural diversity in a school environment is a necessity that can only grow. A member in the Jewish student union club, Ben Memmott, explains about the club, “It’s apparent to me that Judaism is unrepresented, especially in Oregon, and I feel that providing that representation can help get rid of negative connotations.” We see efforts in growing our schools’ cultural awareness in clubs open to students to learn and be a part of a community where you feel represented, seen, and appreciated.
MEChA, The Black Student Union, Jewish Student Union, and many more aspire to widen the Wilsonville High School community and expand the cultural awareness at Wilsonville. “… Everybody that comes in is welcome. Whether they are Latino or not Latino, it’s just a safe space where you can learn about the culture,” says Aysha Osorio, President of MEChA. These are great places to start learning about all the other cultures in the world and to go to as a safe space where you feel represented and where you can get closer to your culture.
Along with these clubs come bigger events that are made to celebrate or bring a closer look into some parts of other cultures. At the recent Dia de los Muertos event held at Wilsonville, MEChA put this celebration together to share their culture with open arms for all. Having more events like these from all cultures is very important that way students and people from all cultures feel seen and represented at our school but also so others learn rather than assume, and create stereotypes. Ms. Meza, the advisor for MEChA, shares about Dia de los Muertos: “I also like that it allows our community members to come to Wilsonville High School and see themselves represented here, or perhaps, experience something new.”
These are just a few efforts of the people at our school that work to only further improve our school’s cultural awareness and diversity at our school. I think we can all agree that there can always be more expression and representation of cultures around us but we can all start here. The world is a big place but you can also make a big difference in this and you can start at Wilsonville High School, so together we can expand our community and create a family with all the diverse cultures around us.