Diverse gathering

Marisa O’Neil

The multipurpose room at Kaiser Elementary looked like Disneyland’s

It’s a Small World ride on Friday morning, except the children were

much more lifelike.

Sixth-grade students dressed in lederhosen, kilts, kimonos and

other ethnic garb for Multicultural Day at the school. Each presented

a report and prepared a special dish, and some even did dances

highlighting their families’ origins.

“All the kids investigated their ethnic roots,” teacher Debra

Muniz said. “They learned about their heritage and ethnicity and to

really celebrate their diversity.”

Students selected a country of origin from their mothers’ side and

one from their fathers’ side and learned about the customs, religions

and government of those areas. They made up poster boards describing

each place and brought in traditional food to share with the class.

Bianca Nasser, 11, did her report on Lebanon, where her father’s

family is from, and Japan, where her mother’s family is from. She

dressed in a kimono and set out a plate of sushi as a crowd of hungry

students gathered anxiously.

Her sister, 19-month-old Francesca, toddled nearby in another

national costume -- a tiny cheongsam dress.

Second only to the sushi was the fish and chips that accompanied

12-year-old Justin McLaren’s project. Justin dressed the part in a

green plaid kilt and a tam-o’-shanter.

Austin Bagby, 11, dressed in a red coat and faux bearskin hat like

a Royal Palace guard in England. He used the tall headpiece to give

complimentary head-butts to his classmates.

“I like all the food here,” Austin said. “But I’m a little sugar

freak, so I like the tea and the chocolate mousse the best. The

sushi’s pretty good, too.”

The project gave students the opportunity to learn about their own

backgrounds, other cultures and their classmates.

“It’s cool because it lets you see other people’s heritage and

what they’re interested in and why they came to the United States,”

Isobel Anderson,12, said.

Chad Dulake, 11, did his project on Israel and France. He learned

about history and national holidays, such as Bastille Day.

“I learned about France,” he said. “It has this one holiday, I

forgot the name, but it’s when the peasants broke into that jail.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.