July 23rd, 2025

By: Haniya, a student at Preston High School

Celebrating your heritage matters—not just as a way to honour where you came from, but as a reminder that diversity makes communities richer.

Student with braces smiling and eating food at the Asian Heritage Month event.

Elmira District Secondary School (EDSS) hosted the third annual Asian Heritage Month celebration event, which centred on the theme of “One Asia, Many Cultures.” Asian Heritage Month celebrates the vast number of Asian cultures, languages, traditions, and histories. Sixteen Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) secondary schools were invited to send members of the Asian heritage affinity groups to EDSS for a day of celebration, culture, and connection. Beyond being a showcase of culture, coming together was a way for us to remember the resilience and struggles in Asian history.They also emphasized the importance of maintaining a connection with our culture. We were encouraged to keep language and traditions alive so we can continue celebrating our diversity.

An event leader showing a student some work on a sheet.

Huron Heights Secondary School and Galt Collegiate Institute students performed a mix of traditional and modern South Asian dances.

The event also included workshops. Led by Grand River Collegiate Institute’s Asian Students Association, one workshop taught origami to practice making animals.

Members of the Jacob Hespeler Secondary School Asian Student Association taught Farsi and Punjabi (Gurmukhi), sharing the historical influences and significance of each alphabet. They then led a lesson on calligraphy, practicing writing names and words in the two languages.

Other workshops included: a symbology/iconography button-making session; the history of tea and an opportunity to sample tea flavours; and the practice of yoga and its cultural significance.

A student wearing a hat working on an art piece.

And what is a celebration without food? Once the workshops were completed, we were invited back to the cafeteria for a feast from a local restaurant. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fried rice options were served, alongside egg rolls, fortune cookies, and tons of candies—some of which sparked nostalgia, reminding me of childhood.

It was a wonderful day. Each student who attended appreciated having a community come together to learn and celebrate culture and heritage. As we embraced the theme of “One Asia, Many Cultures,” I truly appreciated the acknowledgment of the many diverse cultures that have existed in Asia for thousands of years.

#StudentVoice Series

This article is written by a WRDSB student and is part of the Student Agency and Voice program. Student journalists embody WRDSB’s commitment to creating space for students to tell their stories. They are ambassadors for their peers as they share their personal experiences and stories about their schools and communities in their unique voices.