Culture, described simply, is the “aspect of our existence which makes us similar to some people, yet different from the majority of the people in the world” (UN-library).
Culture plays an essential role in shaping identity and broadening students’ perspectives to lifestyles outside of their own. It makes students unique from each other, but also can serve as a common ground between peers. At James Caldwell High School (JCHS), where the student body is predominantly white, but also includes minority groups such as Hispanic, Asian, Black, and multi-racial groups, there lies a latent opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity. All we need to do is take said opportunity.
Currently, according to US news, 77.2% of our school’s student population are white, meaning that just under ¼ of students enrolled are racial minorities. But that doesn’t allow us to assume that under ¼ of our students are cultured. Race and culture, while there is intersectionality between the two, are not the same thing at all. Race refers to the “social construction and categorization of people based on perceived shared physical traits that result in the maintenance of a sociopolitical hierarchy” (American Psychological Association). In simpler words, one’s race is categorized by a perceived set of genetic features, which can include facial structure, skin color, hair types, and more. On the other hand, culture is less about shared physical traits and more about the cumulative possession of traditions, beliefs, customs, and hierarchies acquired by a group of people through generations. No matter your race, everyone has their own culture—even if they don’t consider it as such—and all cultures should be appreciated. Understanding this differentiation can make students value their own ethnic and familial cultures on a deeper level.
For students at JCHS to grasp the importance of culture, perhaps a more interactive approach to the topic is required. As students ourselves, we believe that we should endorse and incorporate more cultural events—namely, our own JCHS Culture Day,
Culture Club
It’s worth mentioning that there is already a devoted group of students working toward cultural appreciation within JCHS’s own Culture Club. Newly-elected Vice President of the Culture Club, Olivia Yao, explains that the club “makes presentations about cultural holidays and provides snacks” to engage members with cultural foods. When asked if she thinks the club is truly informative on different cultures, she replied, “Yes,” continuing on to share an example: “Esther presented about an Islamic holiday– Eid al-fitr” which is a holiday she wasn’t formerly familiar with. The club is inclusive, focusing on traditions from all kinds of religions and countries. Olivia feels that it’s “a great way to spread awareness about the diversity in our school,” especially as she herself is a Chinese student, whose culture goes underrepresented and misunderstood by some. Instead of letting the misinformed foster hostile or ignorant assumptions regarding these cultures, the Culture Club works to uproot them through education and fun.
The impact of the Club’s efforts are great among its members, who leave with a greater understanding of cultural diversity, but those impacts are limited to around 47 members –just about 6% of the amount of students this school year (School Profile 2024-2025). The need to project these impacts on the rest of the school community only emboldens as racial, religious, and cultural prejudice continues to take social media by storm. Something on a wider scale is required to project positivity. To combat the mainstream tendency to hate, a JCHS Culture Day would encourage our students here to learn.
What About a Culture Day?
With this goal in mind, we created and sent out a survey to fellow JCHS students throughout various grade levels to further understand their personal standings regarding our school’s cultural diversity and the proposal of a culture day. When asked if they thought our school was a safe space to share different cultures, 80% of the survey takers responded with “Somewhat” —signifying that they observed our school to either maintain disinterest about the topic, or that they observed our school to maintain a mix of hostility and reception.
90% of survey respondents recognized our school to be slightly to somewhat culturally diverse—indicating that while students are aware of some level of cultural variety, it is not deeply acknowledged or accepted. This recognition between the student body reflects a school environment that has important cultural aspects but lacks the appreciation for them. Notably, all 30 students surveyed agreed that increasing cultural activities and opportunities for exploration would benefit the school community.
Without options for cultural exploration and appreciation, students may remain close-minded, minority students may feel isolated in their cultural experiences, and the school may miss out on meaningful connections that diversity can offer. In fact, 90% of students in the survey responded that having the opportunity to explore and experience different cultures would make them more open-minded and informed.
Despite the desire and need for culturally relevant activities, programs such as the Culture Club at JCHS and other initiatives aren’t well known—over half of the students within our research responded that they have never heard of the club. Nevertheless, 86.7% of the students expressed interest in participating in the club and potentially being members themselves. This gap between the school’s modest diversity and the lack of visible cultural representation—despite being a somewhat diverse school—calls into question why there isn’t a solution.
To address these issues, a Culture Day was suggested in order to fulfill the need to express the diversity in our school. When taking this idea a step further and asking the survey takers, 96% of the students agreed that having an organized Culture Day—where students are given the opportunity to bring in cultural foods, clothing, flags, and create informative presentations—would be a positive attribute for our school. This strong response from the student body underscores the importance of creating spaces that celebrate and embrace the cultural diversity in our school.
The survey results overwhelmingly agree with our own sentiments concerning our school’s unfamiliarity with cultural diversity. In rebuttal —a culture day:
A culture day, by definition, should allow students to represent their own ethnic and national cultures while also learning about others. It’s an annual come-together where unique backgrounds are all the conversation, and curiosity & appreciation make all the replies. It’s meant to be fun, informative, and exciting. In other schools where their student body is very racially diverse, a Culture Day is definitely more typical. Despite that, both the survey results and ourselves agree that this type of school event would benefit our students just as much.
In our proposal, our own JCHS Culture Day can involve foods, flags, clothing, and presentations of different cultures, all brought in by student participants themselves. Typically, on culture day, students come to school dressed in clothing that originates from their culture. For instance, a student of Indian descent may come to school wearing a lehenga, or a student of Mexican descent may come to school wearing a rebozo. Coming into school with cultural clothing would be optional, as not all students have the access or confidence to wear them, but it is typically encouraged. For the less spirited, yet still eager to participate, bringing in a flag representing their culture would work the same. What matters is that students are able to bring out a side of themselves that our usual school atmosphere doesn’t exactly allow, and for them to learn more about others’ own. Below is an example of students coming into school with clothing pieces from their culture.
Moreover, a typical Culture Day may contain student-made presentations on their own cultures. In my personal experience, I, Milianna, remember myself in eighth grade creating a tri-fold presentation on Haiti, which is where my grandfather was born. The process of inventing a short, yet insightful presentation of a nation and culture that is so dear to me was exciting. Sharing where you came from and what traditions truly made you can be thrilling, and learning more about your peers through their own presentations is equally as interesting. Presentations on different countries could be delegated for certain students to make sure there aren’t too many repeats on a given culture and that efforts are spread out to be as inclusive as possible. These presentations can even include bringing in foods from the culture exhibited for students and staff to taste for themselves. Cultural foods end up being a nice interactive portion to the presentation that can compel
Culture Days usually feature decorations around the school that invigorate students about the event. Flags representing all kinds of countries around the world are hung up, and the colorful hallways add excitement to the atmosphere. Posters and streamers can even be hung up to enliven students further.
Cultural clothing, presentations and food, exciting decorations, and potentially more fun activities about culture are all in our proposal for a successful and interactive day at JCHS. A culture day can even be a nice addition to one of our school spirit weeks, and can greatly increase student morale.

Conclusion
In conclusion, culture is not just a backdrop to our identities—it is a part of who we are and how we connect with others. At James Caldwell High School, the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our cultural diversity is essential. Despite being a predominantly white school, the student body has a variety of different cultural backgrounds that deserve acknowledgement and appreciation. As minorities ourselves, both of us understand the importance of self expression, extending out to our ethnic roots and being proud of our racial history.
By implementing something such as a Culture Day, we can create a more inclusive, informed, and understanding school community where students can be seen, heard, and valued for their heritage. We also appreciate and promote the membership of our school’s Culture Club, but we recognize that there is a need for cultural appreciation on a school-wide level. We hope that upon reading our article, you too realize the importance of recognizing cultural diversity, and the benefits that a Culture Day can bring to our school community. It stimulates curiosity of cultures outside of one’s own, increases student spirit, and acts as a fun event where students can show different sides of themselves.
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