As spring rolls around again, so does summit season at ETHS. The annual MENAA Summit took place on February 25, held closely after the Black Student Summit as part of ETHS’s Social Consciousness Series; with its overarching theme In Lak’ech, a Mayan philosophy translating to you are my other me, each of the summit’s workshops revolved around the shared ideas of unity and interconnectedness.
Though it was only 8:30 in the morning, students chattered excitedly among themselves as they each collected handmade bracelets by the Asian Heritage Alliance and South Asian Middle Eastern Club. Following check-in, students filed into the Upstairs Theater; some adorned themselves with vibrant traditional clothing and jewelry, while others were clad in the maroon summit t-shirt, embellished with a print of a pink lily. Designed by junior Kathy Nguyen, the flower represents the theme specific to the MENAA summit: In the garden of life, we bloom together.
“[Today’s theme] encompasses this idea,” explained senior Maija Alehman in her introductory speech. “We all contribute to a beautiful garden, and to bloom together, we need to build each other up and embrace our differences.”
Following more speeches from student members of the MENAA Summit Board, keynote speaker Bushra Amiwala took to the stage to share her journey as the youngest Muslim elected official in America. She spoke of her experiences growing up in Chicago as often the only Muslim in her class, navigating her political career as a teenager and running a campaign for the Cook County Board of Commissioners, though she ultimately lost. Her story aimed to inspire young MENAA-identifying students who can find relatability within her experiences.
“Something that really stuck with me [about her speech] was when she expressed the complex feeling of having to be a spokesperson for your identity,” noted senior Izzah Shah. “That was really powerful, and I think it was a really relatable experience for many students and staff of color.”
Throughout the rest of the day, students attended workshops that surrounded a variety of topics—students in the Art in Bloom workshop created art that represented a diverse number of cultures, where The Chinese Exclusion Act: Viewing and Reflecting on the Immigrant Experience workshop attendees watched a brief documentary surrounding immigration. The annual MENAA Traditional Dancing workshop allowed participants to learn the traditional Khiga and Bhangra styles of dancing. Each workshop was the result of months of planning from the student-led MENAA Summit Board, and student attendees thoroughly enjoyed them.
“I enjoyed the art in bloom workshop because of its different tables [consisting] of different activities,” said senior Zayd Attia. “I felt like I could go from table to table learning about and creating art from different cultures.”
The MENAA umbrella covers a large population of people, all with various racial backgrounds and cultural identities. The opportunity to connect over shared experiences is why many decided to attend, and the break-out racial affinity spaces are the largest draw to the summit.
“[I wanted] to find other people who identified like me and people who felt like they weren’t ‘Asian enough’ in a community where it feels like you have to be 100% full blood or you’re not considered Asian,” explained freshman Jayne Diversiev.
The large quantity of racial affinity spaces offered by the summit allowed every student to find their own community of people with whom they shared experiences and perspectives. Each space was led in tandem with one MENAA committee member and an ETHS staff member.
The summit concluded with the annual student-led fashion show, performed by numerous students and staff alike. A wide variety of cultures were represented in dance and garb, and by the end, the entire audience was invited on stage to dance alongside them.
“The most meaningful part of the summit was definitely the fashion show because it was a great display of different cultures,” said junior Van Banh. “It was really nice to see the community cheering for the performances.”
Though the MENAA Summit is a space to have fun and celebrate each other’s diverse cultures, many students saw it as a valuable opportunity to reflect and connect their shared experiences with today’s challenges.
“I definitely think summits like this have become even more important due to our current political climate,” said Shah. “We need to continue to uplift students of color to be proud of their identities, heritage, and history.”
