The Associated Students of Social Work presented “Social Workers Changing the Future” in its eighth annual Multicultural Festival yesterday at the University Student Union ballroom.
The social work field-based event, open to the public, promoted both Cal State Long Beach’s diverse demographic population and many cultures through its guest speakers, campus organizations, food, live music and students’ strive for diversity.
Manseau Sauceda, who founded the Multicultural Center in 1992, introduced the event during a speech about the importance of “equal human honor” and “cross-cultural coalition of compassion,” in which struggles and determination are some of the factors that truly unite humanity.
We should see “culture as a blessing that does justice,” he added, while interacting with the crowd through repeat-after-me and freestyle gestures.
Other guest speakers included Isaiah Lee and Eileen Mayers Pasztor.
Some of the student organizations that participated included the Jane Addams Committee, Lobby Days Committee and The Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups.
According to junior social work major and Asian Pacific and Islander Committee treasurer Rayzeen Santos, the MCC invited her organization to the event to provide students networking opportunities as community resources.
“We don’t know how it was last year, so [APIC] was enthusiastic for this cultural event,” junior social work major Nidya Rodriguez said.
Organizations like the Latino Student Social Work Network have collaborated with the Multicultural Festival for the last eight years.
“It’s a really good event for students from any grade to familiarize themselves with campus organizations, and for students to connect and contact as the diverse group comes together as one,” senior social work major and LSSWN project manager Amanda Hernandez said.
The Multicultural Festival was founded in 2004 by alumnus James Milan to promote Social Work Month every March.
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