St. John’s Celebrates Cultural Diversity during International Education Week

November 21, 2024

International Education Week, sponsored by the Office of Global Programs, invites students, faculty, administrators, and staff to come together for a series of events celebrating the hundreds of cultures represented at St. John’s University.

The week’s festivities kicked off with the Johnnies World’s Fair on November 18, in which international students showcased their cultures and introduced their fellow students at the Queens, NY, campus to their unique traditions through ethnic food, dances, and photographs.

The World’s Fair featured displays by students from five continents, focusing on the 10 international countries that export the most students to St. John’s, including Vietnam, France, Bangladesh, Jamaica, and others.

Students and volunteers also enjoyed a demonstration of the Brazilian martial art and dance form capoeira by the Queens-based Capoeira Terreiro da Lua troupe.

For international students, the event was an opportunity to reconnect with their home countries, while also connecting with their local communities.

That was the case for Iona Boca, a first-year Communication Arts student, and Alexia Flamanzeanu, a first-year Legal Studies student. The two moved to New York from Romania at the start of the Fall 2024 semester. From different communities in Romania, they met at St. John’s. As the semester progressed and they got homesick, Iona and Alexia began building a community of Romanian students on campus.

Numbering about 10, the Romanian students now meet regularly to share food from their hometowns and stories from their country as they commemorate their culture.

The pair was elated to be involved in Johnnies World’s Fair, seeing it as an opportunity to showcase their homeland to otherwise unfamiliar students. They brought Romanian chips and an assortment of dips for students to try.

“We have been lucky to build our community here at St. John’s, but at the end of the day, there are not that many Romanians in New York City,” Alexia explained. “That is why events like this are so important, and why we were so excited to participate in this initiative.”

“Not only are we showing Johnnies how beautiful and exciting our country is and spreading awareness of our culture,” Alexia continued, “but we also feel like we are at home with our families.”

Isabel Armijos, a student in the English as a Second Language program from Ecuador, shared a similar experience.

She moved from South America a few months ago and found a new home in New York and St. John’s. Although she misses her country, Isabel said the Queens campus and the welcoming environment of the University have made the move less stressful. Isabel hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Chemistry.

At the World’s Fair, Isabel presented cassava bread, a flatbread made from the root of the cassava plant, also known as yuca or manioc. She enthusiastically shared bits of her native culture, which she described as “paradise.” Isabel explained how Ecuadorians refer to their homeland as the “country of four worlds,” because of its diverse climate zones and geography, which include the Amazon River, the Andes Mountains, the Pacific coast, and the Galapagos Islands.

“Cassava bread is such an important part of my culture, and it transports me back home and to my childhood growing up in paradise,” Isabel said. “I am so happy that people are interested in learning about my culture and that I get to carry this piece of my home so close to my heart wherever I go.”

International Education Week was introduced by the US Department of State and the US Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and to attract talent from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

At St. John’s, this represents a seamless connection to the University’s core metropolitan and global mission. The institution prides itself in offering a global education through an internationalized curriculum and integrating diverse cultures.

According to the Office of Global Programs, more than 40 percent of St. John’s undergraduates study abroad at some point, making it a national leader in international engagement. The University offers programs throughout the world that vary in academic or service focus, cost, and duration to help ensure there are opportunities for all students.

At the same time, St. John’s hosts more than 700 international students from about 100 countries.

“St. John’s is a Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan, and global university, so we try to make sure that every student has an opportunity to learn in some kind of global learning activity,” said Christina Quartararo, Assistant Provost for Global Initiatives, Office of the Provost. “We want to make sure that every student learns from an international lens, not just a US-centric one. So that means that we have faculty who are embedding global learning outcomes in the classroom and the curricula.”

Other featured events at the University include a food spotlight at Montgoris Dining Hall with traditional cuisine from China, India, Canada and beyond; a student panel on international experiences; another student panel with members of the Ozanam Scholars program and the Office of Multicultural Affairs; and a Jeopardy-style game night inspired by cultures, traditions, languages, and fun facts from around the world.

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