Georgetown University’s International Student Association (ISA) and the Office of Global Services (OGS) hosted their 11th annual Global Expo, an international food festival and cultural showcase, to celebrate international culture through cuisine and performance April 20.

Global Expo coincided with Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program (GAAP) Weekend, during which prospective students visit Georgetown, and allowed cultural clubs to meet both prospective and current students. The event gathered more than 20 student clubs serving food and presenting performers, with 400 current and prospective students participating in the Global Expo, according to event organizers. 

Jorge Domingo Garcia (SFS ’25), chair of ISA, said the Global Expo aimed to create an inclusive and diverse environment by giving student organizations the platform to share their cultures.

“We believe it is essential to give student organizations the opportunity and necessary resources to remain active and vocal,” Domingo Garcia wrote to The Hoya. “This is part of the reason why the ISA makes its mission to financially and materially support any organization that wants to participate, ensuring Global Expo is as inclusive, plural and accessible as possible.” 

Georgetown has 3,244 international students, which constitutes 15% of the student body. Some of the cultural clubs present included the Latin American Student Association (LASA), Project Rural India Social & Health Improvement (RISHI) and the Brazilian Student Association. 

Mateo De Ferrari (MSB ’26), treasurer for LASA, said the Global Expo is important to LASA because food helps facilitate community in Latin American culture. 

“Food is one of the things that unite us the most, and, in this case, we brought Mexican food for this event,” De Ferrari told The Hoya. “But usually we bring food from everywhere in Latin America.”

Shreya Arora (SOH ’24), co-president and founder of Project RISHI, a student-run non-profit club that aims to address inequality in rural India, said Global Expo allowed the club to present their culture to a larger student body, including prospective students. 

“I think it’s wonderful to both represent our club here and get a chance to interact and meet with a lot of the other cultural organizations on campus and just share what we do and a little bit of our cultural food,” Arora told The Hoya. 

Domingo Garcia said cultural clubs play a pivotal role in Georgetown student life in allowing students to maintain ties to their heritage.

“Cultural student clubs on campus serve as a second family to many students who want to maintain a connection to their heritage or find a place of belonging,” Domingo Garcia wrote. “Events such as Global Expo have a mission to protect and provide welcoming spaces for these organizations that are so crucial to so many Georgetown students.”

Keyon Majidi (SFS ’27) attended the Global Expo and said he enjoyed learning about different cultures through their cuisine. 

“I had not heard about it at all beforehand or had it on my radar, but I walked over with some friends and tried out some interesting foods,” Majidi wrote to The Hoya. “I feel like cuisine is a pretty easy way to interact with and learn about other cultures.”

Domingo Garcia said the Global Expo allows international students to celebrate their cultures without feeling pressured to assimilate into American culture.

“Georgetown prides itself on its international identity, however, international students are often neglected or go unrecognized,” Domingo Garcia wrote. “Global Expo aims to celebrate cultures on campus making no compromises and ensuring all communities can be themselves without having to cave into the pressure of assimilating to an American way of life.”

Domingo Garcia said Global Expo empowers international students, who come from different backgrounds and cannot be attributed to a single category. 

“The international student population at Georgetown is incredibly multifaceted and diverse and it simply cannot be boiled down to a sole ‘international’ identity,” Domingo Garcia wrote. “Global Expo aims whatever it can to empower the many international communities that make up and shape our campus every day.”