Despite being struck by tragedy recently, with the devastation
of the tsunami followed by the assassination of their foreign
minister, the American-Sri Lankan community had something to
celebrate Sunday night ““ their culture.
Sri Lanka sits geographically thousands of miles away between
the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal just off the coast of
India, but the pear-shaped island was brought to life here through
ethnic dancers, speakers and artists on the Ackerman Grand Ballroom
stage at the Sri Lanka cultural show.
Sponsored by the Sri Lanka America Association of Southern
California and many other organizations including the Consulate
General of Sri Lanka in Los Angeles, organizers were eager to unite
members of their small yet ethnically diverse community.
“(We) want to promote the awareness of the culture in
America,” said Keshini Wijegoonarathna, president of the
association.
Though the association, in collaboration with other entities,
does put on Sri Lankan cultural events throughout the year, this is
the largest one yet in terms of size and number of
performances.
“Hospitality is one of our key strengths,”
Wijegoonarathna said while bowing to guests and performers as they
entered the ballroom.
The lighting of an oil lamp, a tradition practiced to
acknowledge new guests, opened the cultural extravaganza.
With colorful, traditional outfits known as saris and the
rhythmic beating of the drums and other traditional string
instruments, attendees were reminded of ““ and some were
introduced to ““ the customs of Sri Lanka, an island which
beholds over 2,000 years of history and culture.
“It has its own unique flavor and the dancers, and the
drama and the music ““ it’s very vibrant and
unique,” said Thushari, an American-Sri Lankan actress in the
Screen Actors Guild and volunteer and participant in the show.
Organizers this year aimed their show not only to acknowledge
their rich culture, but also to pass down the traditions and values
to the younger generation, which has grown up mostly in America,
they said.
“We forget where we are from if we don’t have these
kinds of events,” Wijegoonarathna said.
Events like these are especially important for the younger
generation, Thushari added, saying it is through collaborations
like this that children can find a sense of identity and become
more involved.
Boasting a fashion show with traditional clothing and intricate
gold headpieces accompanied by Sri Lanka musicians and skilled
dancers with sharp yet fluid hand movements, the night brought
several hundred guests.
Though the Sri Lankan community is divided into many ethnic
groups ranging from Sinhalas to Sri Lankan Tamils, and a handful of
religions including Buddhism as the most popular followed by
Hinduism and Christianity, the night didn’t focus on those
divisions.
“Culture transcends all divisions and boundaries,”
said Palitha Pelpola, executive director of the Sri Lanka
Foundation.
Excited guests clapped along as musicians and artists from Sri
Lanka took the stage, bringing a little bit of “home”
to the states with their soulful music, dramatic folktales, and
interpretive dances.
Wijegoonarathna hopes this drive for promoting Sri Lankan
culture gets passed down to the younger generation and is
optimistic about launching a youth association in southern
California, she said.
With around 30,000 Sri Lankans in Southern California and
several hundred at UCLA, organizers would like to see events like
this happen more often ““ it brings the small and
geographically dispersed community closer together.