This past Saturday, UB held its 44th International Fiesta (IF) centered around the theme “Voices Unmuted.”
This year’s performances were riveting. From acrobatic sensations with mind-boggling airtimes to mesmerizing synchronization, the dances undoubtedly required immense dedication. However, beyond the impeccable displays of technique, the stirring story telling gave me goosebumps. The dancers curated a narrative that accurately depicted the society we currently live in, in a way that you were unable to look away. Honestly, some of the most moving live performances I’ve seen.
Each competing team artistically expressed a story on the attempted erasure of their culture. Many teams looked to the past, addressing the injustices their ancestors braved and highlighting their resilience that fostered necessary social change. Whether it was sexual abuse, exploitation of trust and finances, or uprooting, these chilling performances emphasize how crucial it is to take a stand against oppression.
The performance by the Latin American Student Association (LASA) demonstrated the inhumane displacement of minorities in our communities. Their performance opened with a wholesome gathering of friends and family, a sweet shindig filled to the brim with some of the most joyous aspects life has to offer: great food, great music and great dance partners.
This idyllic scene was abruptly interrupted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents violently separating a young scholar from his loved ones. The rest of the performance was saturated with grief and indignation at the obscene display of immorality. It concluded with the performers wielding signs in protest of ICE; an inspiring reminder that despite the best efforts of oppressors, our voices will not be silenced.
Needless to say, this year’s performances were relevant to the adversities we have and continue to face. I know I am not alone in finding this event to be resonant with notions of censorship and erasure that have loomed over many of us for years.
Personally, growing up as a South Asian woman in predominantly white settings, what I perceived to be the “norm” led me to reject my culture, leaving me largely estranged from my heritage. Since I was about seven, I feared the blatant bullying my minority classmates faced. Letting my fears control my decisions, I would “white-wash” — a slang term used to express the act of non-white people covering up elements of themselves to act more with Western/white culture — myself and lean into ignorance.
The desire to assimilate was deep-seated in my upbringing; it fueled my neglect of my identity and this negligence is one of my biggest regrets.
As I grew up, the flagrancy of diluting oneself revealed itself to be a glaring misstep.
Luckily, attending a school that embraces diversity, the way UB does, has aided greatly in my attempt to regain my footing in my culture. Events such as IF have been particularly touching, as they directly combat the fears that the younger me held in, proving that diversity is centric to a flourishing community.
Just as IF aimed to underline, it is particularly integral these days that we continue to wield our voices as enforcers for change. I worry for all the kids out there who too feel they must deny themselves of their true copious identities out of fear for not only social rejection, but potential displacement by ICE. It is in times of erasure that we must hold onto our voices and culture as talisman.
When I begin to lose hope, I picture myself, about eight years old slumped in a ridiculously tiny chair, with a pink eraser enveloped in my little fist, frantically trying to erase the endearing note my older sister snuck into my folder. She wrote in our mother tongue, Urdu, a whimsical math related pun only her nerdy mind could muster up.
I remember in all the tremendous vigor my minuscule forearm could yield, watching the pink eraser diminish rapidly and my sister’s brazen note leaving an indelible trace.
It was the eraser that faded, not the note. Those with heavy hands may try all they like to censor our narratives, but our cultures are robust and we will persevere.
The opinions desk can be reached at opinions@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Sevda Abdavinejad
