Inside Cultural Celebrations at Orange County Schools
From performances to food, local schools are recognizing the diverse cultures of their students during the school day.
Editor’s Note: The author volunteered at one of the campus cultural events included in this story.
From Chinese lion dances to Day of the Dead altars, cultural celebrations are becoming a common part of the school day in Orange County.
Recent Lunar New Year performances and assemblies held at campuses across O.C. highlight the trend. Many were publicized on social media by districts and schools. The events featuring traditions celebrated by local Asian American families, including those of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese descent, are a reflection of the region’s diverse population.
At the Westminster School District’s DeMille Elementary, California’s first Vietnamese dual language immersion school, students celebrated Tết, the Vietnamese term for Lunar New Year, by playing traditional games with Westminster High School students and watching colorful performances.
In the Capistrano Unified School District at Bergeson Elementary, a Mandarin dual immersion campus, students recently banged drums and filled the halls, performing a Chinese lion dance symbolizing good luck and strength. “Moments like this remind us how special it is to celebrate culture together as a school community,” reads an Instagram post shared by the school and district.
It wasn’t just dual language schools celebrating. McGarvin Intermediate School in the Garden Grove Unified School District held a Tết Celebration on Feb. 20 during school. The event “highlighted the diversity that makes GGUSD strong, creating space for students to share their heritage while building understanding and appreciation across the campus community,” reads a post from the district.
Several of the nine campuses in the Los Alamitos Unified School District held Lunar New Year events, including Hopkinson, Los Alamitos, and Rossmoor elementary schools. “We love seeing our schools embrace cultural learning and create meaningful moments that reflect and celebrate the diversity of our school community,” read a recent post from the district highlighting Lunar New Year events.
Cultural Celebrations Encouraged in California Education Code
The California Department of Education maintains a list of religious, cultural, and other holidays and observances it says is intended to help plan special recognition events. Cultural celebrations at schools are not required by California law, but some holidays are mentioned in the Education Code. For example, Ed. Code 37222.19 encourages schools “to conduct exercises recognizing the traditions and cultural significance of the Lunar New Year” during the regular school program.
This year, Diwali, the Festival of Lights, became an official state holiday. California students may take the day off school as an excused absence, and schools are now permitted to close in observance of the holiday, which is celebrated by many Indian and South Asian American communities including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists.
Some O.C. schools celebrate traditions that may not be officially recognized in state law, but reflect the community they serve. For instance, campuses in the Santa Ana Unified School District regularly mark Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead in the fall. During the holiday, Mexican and other Latin Americans honor deceased family members and loved ones with vibrant ofrendas (altars) adorned with colorful flowers and photographs.
Culture Celebrated in a Variety of Ways
Cultural celebrations during school hours can take many forms. Some are led by student groups or clubs, parent volunteers, teachers, staff, or administrators. Historic or cultural facts are sometimes read during morning announcements. Decorations or displays on campus, like the doors decked out for Lunar New Year at Warner Middle School in Westminster, are a visual representation of culture. Performances from a community cultural group, like Yee Ying Tong lion and dragon dancers scheduled to perform at Patrick Henry Elementary in the Anaheim Elementary School District, are common.
Cultural recognition is also served up through cuisine. For example, the Fullerton School District offered dumplings as a school lunch for Lunar New Year. Last month, students at Santiago STEAM Elementary in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District participated in a Cultural Buffet. Fifth graders served foods from their cultural backgrounds “they would love to see included on an SVUSD breakfast or lunch menu,” according to the district.
The Cultural Buffet was held during the school day at Santiago STEAM Elementary in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District.
Schools are also responding to cultural and religious traditions through minor accommodations with food. For instance, some campuses in Los Alamitos Unified are offering fish sticks on Fridays for the next several weeks. While all students can eat them, they are being offered with Christian students and staff in mind who are observing the Lenten season, marked by fasting, prayer, and penance. Meanwhile, for Muslim students marking Ramadan, a time for fasting and prayer, the Anaheim Union High School District is providing meatless take-home meal kits.
Jeannette Andruss
Students Lead the Effort at McAuliffe Middle School
At McAuliffe Middle School in Los Alamitos, culture has become a common theme during the lunch period. To welcome the Year of the Horse, the school's Associated Student Body leaders planned to pass out red envelopes for classmates to send to one another, marking a Lunar New Year tradition meant to spread goodwill.
It’s the latest idea from the ASB's Culture, Inclusion, and Awareness (C.I.A.) committee, according to ASB and history teacher Jennifer Bellendir.
“What began as a simple effort to create posters highlighting influential leaders soon evolved, thanks to [students’] creativity and passion, into hands-on art activities, cultural games, movie days, and interactive experiences that teach our student body about the history and traditions of each culture,” Bellendir wrote of the C.I.A. committee in an email to Spotlight Schools.
Bellendir credits the students’ dedication and strong partnerships with school administrators and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for making the celebrations possible. Thanks to financial support from PTA, a Puerto Rican drum group came to campus during Hispanic Heritage Month and Bollywood dancers performed for Diwali this school year. “Both events were incredibly successful and brought a joyful, vibrant energy to our campus,” Bellendir wrote. Recently, the Ultra Boys dancers visited McAuliffe to celebrate hip-hop culture for Black History Month.
Bellendir said that she thinks hosting cultural celebrations on campus is important, especially for middle schoolers. “Students are figuring out who they are, how they fit into the world, and what makes them unique,” Bellendir explained. “When cultural celebrations happen during the school day and not as an afterthought or optional event, they send a very clear message: every culture, every story, and every student matters here.”
Bellendir recalled an impactful moment after an Arab American Heritage Month event held years ago. “A student I had never met came to my classroom specifically to thank me for acknowledging her culture. In that moment, I realized just how important this committee was, and how meaningful this work could be for our students,” Bellendir wrote.
Parent Volunteers Organize Winter Holiday Festival
Some schools offer immersive cultural experiences put on by parent volunteers. In December, members of the McGaugh Elementary International Culture Club hosted the first-ever Winter Holiday Festival, working closely with school administrators and teachers. (Note: I was a volunteer involved with this event.)
Students visited with Santa Claus and heard about how children all over the world mark his arrival. (Photo by Jeannette Andruss)
Students from every classroom spent about 20 minutes visiting a transformed McGaugh auditorium and patio to learn about eight different holidays and traditions celebrated by people around the world through music, storytelling, and hands-on activities. Kids experienced Hanukkah with dreidel games, Kwanzaa by playing drums, and for the Japanese tradition of Omisoka, participants picked an omikuji (fortune) for the new year. Santa Claus was also there with a book explaining the different treats children all over the world leave for him on Christmas.
"The kids' reactions were positive and priceless," Winter Holiday Festival lead volunteer Vivi Cabasa wrote in an email after the event. "Seeing the kids learn about different holidays was amazing. They showed interest and they were excited to be part of it."