Kaymarie Jones
The Paw Print
This past weekend, the Immigrant Resource Center of Alamosa joined hands with Adams State University’s Diversity Multicultural Club to embrace and support international students and immigrants, who may have immigrant related questions and needs, at the Elks Lodge, in Alamosa.
In light of celebrating U.S. International Education Week, the group celebrates a different culture every year and this year, the group celebrated the Native-American culture by inviting the Seven Falls Indian Dancers to showcase their culture to the community.
Oneyda Maestas, CASA Coordinator and Student Advocate, gathers the international students each year to engage in a celebration of their cultures in one place. This year, students and faculty participated in numerous activities led by the Native American dancers who reside in Denver and Espiritu Maya , Guatemalan Marimba Band, who engaged the audience with their riveting performances.
“This year was one of our most successful international events. This years’ event featured the Native-American culture. Navajo Culture’s saying is ‘to walk in beauty’ and we definitely walked-in-beauty as we traveled around the world through food.”
The event was well attended by faculty and staff of Adams State and this year there were more international dishes prepared by Adams State University international students.
“This is a great way to recognize the diversity of Adams State University. As an international student, sometimes I feel out-of-place, but when I am in one room with so many different people from so many different countries I feel right at home,” says the Jamaican native, Carlos Wiggan.
The international students of Adams State expressed their way of life by crafting cultural items and preparing an enormous variety of delicious dishes from countries like Tibet, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Japan, England and more.
There were also dishes that were from the states but not as many as there were from other native lands. Some of the dishes included spring rolls, vegetable chow mein, egg rolls, stewed beef, rice and beans, Jamaican jerk chicken, Jamaican curried chicken, stewed pork, fried rice, pizza, wings, fruits, vegetables and some delicious deserts that left mouths watering. The Catholi Daughters of Americas were responsible for the delicious carrot and double chocolate cake, cookies, finger snacks, and many other delicious deserts.
Isamar Loera, an American student at Adams State says, “My parents are from Mexico and I was born and raised as an Mexican-American, so a night like this simply allows me to be more proud of who I am.”
Immigrants of the San Luis Valley are always welcomed at the San Luis Valley Immigrant Resource Center (SLVIRC) if they need immigration legal assistance. The SLVIRC is a unique organization that has a long history of working with immigrants and has been an informal resource center for immigrants in the area since 1987.
The Adams State Diversity Multicultural Club would like to thank the wonderful sponsors and donors who made the event a success; Maywa, Alamosa State Bank, Immigration Resource Center, Calvillos, Juaniotos Restaurant, Tortilla Company, SLV community members, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the Valley Girls Avon, El Parnaso, Newman Club, All-Nations, Prism Club, Black Student Union, the Office of Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Associated Students and Faculty and ASU Community Partnerships.
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