Thursday, April 19, 2007

Children celebrate cultures

Jaihzelle Arnold, 3, wears a Chinese outfit to the multicultural fair held at Vernondale Community Center on April 12. Arnold is of Filipino heritage but wore an outfit her parents had purchased in Taiwan. (Photo by Marny Malin)

Chloe Miraco just moved to Fort Belvoir from Spain, Jaihzelle Arnold’s mother is originally from the Philippines and Gigi Montano’s grandmother is originally from Mexico. Each of these Fort Belvoir children and many more came together on April 12 for the first-ever Family Child Care Multicultural Fair.

“My hope is that these kids will know all different cultures when they grow up and pass it on to their children,” said Tammy Engleman, a provider and the organizer of the event. “I think it’s important to reach kids at this age and show them what its like for kids their age growing up in different countries.”

Engleman contacted Family Child Care providers at Fort Belvoir to represent countries ranging from Panama to Germany with the requirement that each provider originally be from or have a current family connection to the country that they represent.

Representatives taught approximately 40 children about their countries with posters, fun facts and greetings and numbers in different languages at the Vernondale Community Center.

“This helps them learn tolerance at a young age,” said Melissa Montano, who represented Mexico. “All children are basically the same, they all like to eat and have fun.”

Gigi Montano, 2, enjoyed eating the variety of foods, especially the foods from Mexico that her mother provided.

The children also brought pieces of their cultures to the fair, including Chloe, 5, who attended with her mother, Ester Miraco.

“My favorite parts are the Spanish parts because I know Spanish,” said Chloe, who is fluent in both English and Spanish.

“[We’re here] to teach the kids that everybody is equal,” said Miraco. “We all eat and we pretty much all want the same things in life.”

After the individual country presentations, the children and providers enjoyed a variety of foods like mangos, quesadillas and sushi.

Jaihzelle, 3, learned how to eat with chopsticks from her mother and taught some of the other children how to use them.

“[I want] the kids to appreciate other cultures and traditions and to accept other people’s colors, races and differences,” said Mary Jean Arnold, who represented the Philippines and Taiwan.

Engleman would like to eventually make the event an annual diversity celebration.