Photograph by Aaron Suozzi
Members of Saratoga Taiko and Grace United Methodist Church opened the show at the Celebration of Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Heritage, put on by the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church.
By MIGUEL SALINAS
Hip-hop, rock & roll, traditional dances and modern poetry blurred ethnic and religious lines at the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church during that congregation's first South Bay Area-wide celebration of diversity, tolerance and talent.
Although the congregation mainly includes residents of Sunnyvale and Cupertino, about 300 people, representing the spectrum of cultural and religious communities, transformed the church at 19624 Homestead Road into a theater for teens to show their pride in who they are and what they believe.
"We teach them tolerance and respect in our faith," said co-pastor Rachel Berry, who was instrumental in creating the event, called Celebration of Heritage. "It's much more powerful if you can involve kids with that through real-life action. This gives them a stage to do that."
More than just a showcase of music and dance, the celebration also was supposed to be a learning experience, Berry said.
The crowd of curious youth and proud parents armed with video cameras received a taste of the delicate Jewish circle dances, performed by students from Temple Beth David; a contemporary song about unity from the choir and quintet of Cosmopolitan Evangelical United Church of Christ; and a rousing and inspirational series of spirituals from the St. Paul's Samoan Fellowship choir.
"Whenever a diversity of people get together, we always want to participate to show everyone our culture," said Fili Gaoteote Jr., clad in a white ie lava lava, the traditional Samoan skirt-like wrap. "One thing we teach our little ones is that their culture is very important, and they should be proud of what we are."
Rosita Mejia, of Valley Faith United Methodist Church, said a demonstration of the traditional Filipino rice-planting and courting dances is important for people of other cultures to experience.
"It's important to let people know we are proud of our culture," Mejia said. "They will learn to value and appreciate it."
To further accentuate their pride, the Valley Faith group wore barong tagalog and balintawak, the national dress in the Philippines.
While most performances went off without a hitch, some of the young performers battled a case of stage fright.
"It's kind of embarrassing," said Emily Duncan, 14, of the Boulder Creek United Methodist Church, who performed four liturgical dances with four other girls. "You're in front of other people doing stuff you normally wouldn't do."
But that's the point, Berry said, adding that youth interact with each other differently in a school setting, where they try to be more like each other.
"We don't see the expression of [culture and religion] at school, where they are normally interacting," she said. "When kids see other young kids expressing themselves, it makes them value their own faith. It stimulates that kind of interest. It stimulates their identity."
Dawn Hinkle, another member of the Boulder Creek congregation, got the idea.
"It's important to know about different cultures and ethnic backgrounds," Hinkle said. "Sometimes you know only the stuff around you."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 23, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.