On Friday, April 11, Cathy and I attended the Cass School District #63 Multicultural Celebration at Cass Junior High School. As one who believes strongly that our community is enriched by the contributions made by the different ethnic, religious and racial groupings that compose our Darien environment, I welcomed the invitation to attend and share in the evening’s festivities.
When Cathy and I arrived, we were warmly greeted and provided with a program as well as a “Passport” that we could have stamped at each of the eighteen countries that were represented at the event. Following our introduction to the program, we walked down a hallway lined with artwork, each piece following a theme demonstrating the beauty of our society’s and world’s diversity. Prior to entering the gymnasium where representatives from eighteen countries were located, we viewed a map of the world with stickpins noting the countries where either a parent or a student in the district had been born. I was quite surprised to learn that Cass District #63 is composed of families from sixty different countries around the world.
As we entered the main gym, we were immediately welcomed by parents and students. The crowd was estimated to be anywhere from 600 to 800 hundred people, many dressed in ethnic garb as they spent time visiting each of the eighteen countries that were represented at the event. Cathy and I visited a number of these countries, where we had an opportunity to learn about the culture of that country while also having an opportunity to try a sample of their ethnic food. Representatives at each table took time to answer questions, demonstrating the pride they felt for their ethnic heritage. As we went from table to table, we noted how engaged attendees were in visiting and learning about each country represented at the event.
In a time when the word “diversity” seems to carry a negative connotation, I am impressed with the administration, staff and parents who planned for and implemented this event. Their work was a demonstration of the appreciation we should all have for the contributions made by the “mosaic” that makes up our city and our country. I am proud to be the mayor of a city that acknowledges its diversity, and I want to thank Cass District #63 for allowing us to see how acknowledging multiculturalism does not divide us but rather brings us together, forming bonds that make our community truly a nice place to live.