Dear Editor:
On April 19, I attended a exciting and educational Vaisakhi assembly at Queensborough Middle School that was put on by the Punjabi teacher Mr. Deep Singh Sangra. The staff of Queensborough Middle School was very helpful and supportive towards this event as well.
Being born and raised in Canada, experiencing such an event was truly heartwarming. Seeing my culture being expressed and taught to the people of my community was quite the experience. There were speeches in both English and Punjabi that taught students, teachers, as well as a countless number of parents, about the significance of this auspicious celebration.
Students from the Punjabi community helped get the audience in a festive mood by performing bhangra and gidha, two of the most well-known dances of Punjab. It was amazing seeing such young, ambitious students so connected to their roots; especially in a time like today, so fluent in and passionate about their mother tongue.
Seeing these students sharing their views about what they have learned and making the community aware of the importance of their culture made me realize that programs like these are essential in order to spread awareness about who we are and what we stand for. I hope to see many more events in the future of this sort.
These events help create unity in society and educate others about multiculturalism.
Randip Kaur Hundal, Grade 12 student, New Westminster Secondary School
