World In-Sight was a way for Clarissa Rodriguez to combine her passion for Russian culture and her drive to help people with disabilities in Russia.
The International Student Association at UCLA hosted World In-Sight, a multicultural fair aimed to showcase cultures from different parts of the world. About 25 student groups participated in the second annual event held in Wilson Plaza Wednesday, said Min Woo Sun, a second-year economics student and director of World In-Sight.
Rodriguez, a fourth-year Russian language and literature student and a member of the UCLA Russian Club, managed the booth representing Russian culture in the fair. As a student minoring in disabilities studies, Rodriguez said she wants to inform UCLA students about disabled people and the problems that they face in Russia.
“It would be great if Russian students could study at UCLA, go back home and implement some of the facilities available to disabled students here,” Rodriguez said.
Sun said he organized the event to showcase UCLA’s student diversity. Booths at the fair sold food, handmade jewelry and bags specific to the cultures they represented. Students at booths organized games and asked trivia questions intended to promote multicultural understanding. Members from student groups wore traditional clothing and performed folk dances and songs.
Sun said the International Student Association applied for about $12,000 in campus funding to cover the cost of the event.
The Salvadoran booth, managed by Union Salvadorena de Estudiantes Universitarios, a student group, promoted Salvadoran culture by focusing on the country’s artwork.
“A lot has affected our country, especially since the civil war in the 1980s,” said Rosemary Torres, a second-year biology student. “I want others to know how that has shaped Salvadoran people and culture.”
Torres said she thought the display of Salvadoran art and books reflected how Salvadoran people think. She also said the event gave her the opportunity to share Salvadoran culture with other students.
Andrea Valencia, a fourth-year civil engineering student, led the Ecuadorean booth. Valencia said she wanted to use the event to recruit for the organization and introduce aspects of Ecuadorean culture.
“When I tell people that I’m from Ecuador, they ask about where it is and what language we speak there,” Valencia said. “Sometimes people don’t even know Ecuador exists (as a country).”
Ecuador’s consulate general in Los Angeles donated homemade Ecuadorian ice cream for club members to share with students at the fair. Pacari Chocolate, an Ecuadorean company, contributed samples of organic chocolate.
Sun said the International Student Association intends to host the fair next year, and added that he hopes the fair could be more diverse in the future.