BYU: 2 students at heart of fiesta and luau feel joy in sharing their heritage, traditions and stories | News, Sports, Jobs

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Malachi Semo, front, leads his section at the BYU luau.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Malachi Semo and Valentina Duenas were section leaders at the Brigham Young University luau and fiesta, respectively.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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Every year, Brigham Young University’s Multicultural Student Services hosts several cultural programs to foster a sense of belonging and appreciation for diverse backgrounds among the campus community. Two of those major events, a fiesta and a luau, just wrapped up last month and not only created meaningful connections for thousands of attendees but also created incredible moments of inspiring service for two BYU students at the heart of the festivities.

For BYU students Malachi Semo and Valentina Duenas, the events were important opportunities to share their culture and the traditions of their people. The fiesta showcased cultural dances from seven Central and South American countries, while the luau featured song and dance from six Polynesian cultures.

“For us Polynesians, everything’s a collective effort; I wanted to contribute representation of Samoa to BYU,” said Semo, a junior from American Samoa majoring in mechanical engineering. “I had an opportunity to grow up in the islands and grew up learning the values that we carry as a part of our identity as Samoans. Taking my cultural values with me and applying them in my life has helped me to want to work hard, serve others and draw closer to my savior.”

Semo and Duenas, a junior from Peru studying business, were both section leaders for their countries’ dances. For weeks leading up to the events, they choreographed their respective cultural dance and taught it to their individual groups of over 50 students.

While most of the participants originate from their homelands, like Chile, Brazil, Hawaii or Tonga, BYU encourages students not of Latin American or Polynesian descent to participate as well. Leading their sections allowed Semo and Duenas to create an environment where BYU students could connect with each other while learning a cultural dance and, more importantly, learning the beauty of other cultures.

“I learned about humility,” Duenas said. “Everyone was counting on us and there was a lot of responsibility. I learned I need to love the participants and see them as Christ would, because anyone can participate. As I transmitted love to the students, they seemed happier because they could feel of that love.”

Duenas grew up dancing with her family. Even though she is far away from her native homeland furthering her education, sharing her love for her culture through traditional Peruvian dances connects her back to her roots. The fiesta and luau help spread awareness about each country’s unique purpose for dance: conveying ancient stories, performing sacred religious rituals or honoring heroic individuals.

“This event reminds me of the joy of dancing,” Duenas said. “Dancing is a big part of my culture, and it made me proud of my roots and my family. The whole event is about sharing our cultures and love for our heritage.”

Semo agrees. He grew up on the island of American Samoa until high school, when his family moved to Hawaii. Even though he has lived away from the islands for several years, he often reflects upon the core values of respect, service, and unity Polynesian cultures emphasize.

“There are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions people have about their own cultures even,” Semo said. “It was a nice opportunity for students to learn about and embrace their culture and find out who they truly are and that they belong to a people who are about family, love, service, respect, humility and hard work. For those who aren’t a part of the culture, it is good to see an actual representation of who we are as a people.”

Abigail Haven is a writer for University Communications at BYU.