Celebrating Culture In West Orange: Italian/Hispanic Heritage, Diwali

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Three recent celebrations of culture took place in West Orange for Italian Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Diwali.

DIWALI

An exuberant Diwali celebration was held at West Orange High School on Oct. 13, organized by United Asian Voices of West Orange, the West Orange School District, West Orange Township and community members.

The event was held in the Tarnoff cafeteria and featured Indian arts and crafts vendors, with Indian food available for sale outside. The West Orange High School Girls Step Team, traditional songs and dances were performed. Free raffle baskets were filled with assorted South Asian clothing, ornaments and other gifts donated by West Orange neighbors, along with gift cards from local businesses, were given out during the event.

“Sunday’s Diwali celebration was part of the ongoing partnership between United Asian Voices of West Orange, the West Orange Board of Education and the Township of West Orange, to bring Asian cultural celebrations to the wider community, like our Lunar New Year Celebration in January and AAPI Festival in May,” Sage Gajarawala said.

“We host such cultural celebrations to celebrate and raise awareness of the incredible diversity among Asian Americans here in West Orange,” she explained.

“A huge thank you to the amazing community that came out to celebrate Diwali with us,” Gajarawala added. “Whether you were here to learn about a new culture, try some delicious new food, dance a few Bollywood steps, or simply share in the celebration if you’re already familiar with Diwali and Indian traditions—we are so grateful for your presence and participation.”

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HISPANIC HERITAGE

The West Orange School district concluded their celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Oct. 14 as Mt. Pleasant Elementary School held a Hispanic Heritage Day featuring dance, crafts, and special presentations in all classes.

Organized by teacher Kristina Moyet and other staff members, students enjoyed presentations from professional dancers Frank and Rosa from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Montclair. In each classroom, a variety of educational, artistic and musical lessons continued throughout the day: read-alouds, crafts, learning activities and presentations from students and staff.

“As a Cuban-American, it was important to me to highlight and celebrate Hispanic culture at Mt. Pleasant,” Moyet said. “With that in mind, I planned a day-long cultural celebration highlighting the influences, impact, and beauty of Hispanic cultures represented in our community to close out the end of Hispanic Heritage Month.”

ITALIAN HERITAGE

On Oct. 15, West Orange Township recognized October as Italian Heritage Month in a ceremony organized by the West Orange High School Italian Department and Italian Club and sponsored by the local chapter of UNICO.

UNICO, an Italian American service organization, which stands for "Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity" was formed in 1922 and remains the largest Italian American organization in the world. Today, there are an estimated 18 million Italian Americans, comprising approximately 5.4 percent of the population.

Frank Gonnella of the Orange/West Orange chapter served as emcee for the program, which also included a welcome from Mayor Susan McCartney, also of Italian American descent.

Italian teacher, Italian Club advisor, and Italian Honor Society advisor Rosanna Zamloot introduced student performances, which included:

• Presentation of the colors by the West Orange High School JRAFROTC
• A performance of the National Anthem by Sofia and Lucia Pereira
• Members of the Italian Club and Italian Honor Society sing the Italian National Anthem, "Inno di Mameli."
• Poetry Recital: "Il Treno degli Emigranti": Italian Honor Society members Kimberly Mira Barrientos and Ernesto Morillo recite the poem "Il Treno degli Emigranti" by Italian poet Gianni Rodari, reflecting on the Italian immigrant experience.
• Student Experience: Learning the Italian Language: Trigal Rosario Taveras, President of both the Italian Club and Italian Honor Society, shares her personal journey and insights as a dedicated student of the Italian language.
• Cultural Reflection: Growing Up Italian: Mimi Favetta, Secretary of the Italian Club, provides reflections on her experiences growing up in an Italian household and how it shaped her identity.
• Musical Medley: Italian Classics: The WOHS Strings, featuring Andrew Chan, Cormac O’Gorman, Jennifer Fernandes, Nicole Ng, and Jay Stevenson, perform a medley of Italian songs, including "Santa Lucia" and "O Sole Mio." (This performance has been prepared under the guidance of Dr. Elena Peres.)

In addition to Mayor McCartney, councilpersons Michelle Casalino, Tammy Williams, Susan Scarpa, Fire Chief Tony Vecchio, and World Languages Supervisor Felix Plata were in attendance at the ceremony.

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