Ashburton College students took their taste buds on a trip around the world this year.
In an event called Cultural Bites, a wide range of dishes were brought along by students for others to try.
It is just one of the benefits of growing ethnic diversity.
About 50 nationalities are represented in the school population, of which only about half are New Zealand European.
Cultural Bites involves students bringing cuisine originating from their home countries.
Head of the school’s cultural committee for 2024, Tafu Aiono Falealili, said the various dishes are put together in a sale, and students throughout the school try them.
On the two Cultural Bites events this year, many had sold out. Favourites included sushi (Japanese), fried bread (Ma ¯ori) and the fruit drink otai (Tonga).
‘‘It’s really nice to try what different cultures bring,’’ Tafu said.
‘‘You get to know a little bit more about that culture through their food, because most people express through food.’’
The college also celebrated its diversity through Language Weeks, involving performances, static displays and a day where students associated with that language came to school in their cultural dress.
Some languages were celebrated for the first time this year. They included Chinese, and those from the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan, alongside languages from previous years, including Te Reo Ma ¯ori, Samoan, Cook Islands Ma ¯ori, Filipino, Tongan, and Fijian.
Tafu, of Samoan heritage, said new students coming to the college after immigrating here felt at home.
‘‘I think it’s really nice if you are a new student. It’s nice to see other people from your culture are here, so you are not alone in your journey through high school.’’
Meanwhile, people being presented with citizenship certificates in Mid Canterbury after gaining citizenship over the last two years have mostly been from the Philippines (101 people), Samoa (40), India (29) and the United Kingdom (24).
Four ceremonies were held by the district council this year, and four last year.
It seems there is more diversity among Ashburton’s student population, compared to other age groups in the community.
Census 2023 data shows of the district’s population of 34,746, 28,185 are of European ethnicity. From the college’s roll of 1282, only slightly more than half, 670, are European.
This covers NZ European, as well as students from other countries such as Britain, Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Romania.
The next largest ethnicity group at the college is Asian (234), then Maori (202), Pasifika (159), Middle Eastern/Latin American/African (12) and other (5).
