International Street Fair in Blacksburg lets cultures shine

Virginia Tech is one of the most diverse schools in the United States, even winning a Diversity Champion award shown by InclusiveVT in 2023 via the Insight to Diversity Magazine. While the university sets up a number of events for students throughout the year to understand the varying number of cultures better, it doesn't really open the door to anyone outside of this circle. Thankfully for those interested, Virginia Tech's annual International Street Fair opens the door to those outside of the Hokies learning circle.

 

Today's fair was the 63rd of its kind, and from noon to six in the evening, showcased 40 different countries around the world, providing guests with a sort of world tour within Blacksburg. There was an array of booths representing all walks of life from Japan to Pakistan, along with a vast assortment of food trucks so students can experience the wide range of pristine food, ranging from sweet, savory, spicy and everything in between. Advisor Adyan Atiq is in his fourth International Street Fair, where he's able to discuss its' purpose.

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"What we do is celebrate the diverse student body that we have, and the cultural vibrance we bring to the Hokie Nation. It's really aligning the mesh of the university to celebrate the inclusiveness that we bring."

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What makes this fair work is that those representing a particular country aren't restrained by any particular rules; they're able to present their country however they see fit to create the most authentic experience possible. Atiq describes this notion further.

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"Every organization varies from what they want to do. They have the choice to represent or showcase what they want to do. We have cultural performances going on, dances, music, songs, some poetry. But if you go down to the booths you'll see more about some specific aspects of their culture they want to represent."

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Many colleges take pride in maintaining a diverse community, but Virginia Tech is one of the few schools able to make true on this claim. An October 2023 census shows that over 36 percent of undergraduate students are part of an underrepresented minority, an amount that's increased over the last several years. The International Street Fair is the place to be if you want to see all these different cultures represented in their own unique way, and next year's fair will surely be even better.

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