What has a Masala food truck, Bollywood performances and lots of colors? Western Washington University’s South Asian Student Association’s Holi celebration.
Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating the start of spring, often referred to as the “festival of colors.” People typically gather to sing and dance. They wear white to throw colored-powder (gulal) or colored-water (pani) at one another. One of SASA’s Lead Officer Raj Singh said he is excited because it's been five years since SASA’s last Holi event.
“It's a great time to celebrate all of the work we've been putting into the club, and it's just a nice time to have fun with everyone,” Singh said. “I'm also excited to acknowledge all the board members and all the staff that we've been working with and just sharing love with the community.”
The event will have a Mixed Masala food truck, Singh said. One of the SASA council members will DJ and three SASA council members will showcase a Bollywood dance performance.
“We are all so focused with school and with our lives,” Singh said. “It is such a great opportunity to have just a set time to run around and have fun like kids again.”
Another one of SASA’s Lead Officers, Shrija Gandhi, will emcee the event. Gandhi said SASA struggled to start up again after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We tried to put it on last year, but it didn't work with our schedules and timing,” Gandhi said. “This year we were really dedicated to making sure our community felt represented and that there was a moment where we could all come together for celebration.”
Gandhi said events like these are important because of Bellingham’s racist history. In September of 1907, white workers drove south asian migrant workers out of the city.
“It's a moment for us to remind ourselves we're just as American as everybody else. We belong here as much as everybody else,” Gandhi said. ”Regardless of the history and how we've been treated in the past, our resiliency is our strength.”
The event will be on the Communications Facility lawn on June 8 from noon-4 p.m. Holi Powder will be sold for $3.
“These events highlight students' passions, joys, interests, identities and their communities,” said Wendy Johnson, the event service manager at the Viking Union.
A South Asian Student Association poster for a Holi festival on June 8 on the Communication Facility lawn at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. Holi is a Hindu festival that originated in India, and has now spread across the globe. // Graphic provided by SASA
Singh said the event is open to everyone, and SASA loves to see multiple identities and groups of people show up in the space.
Gandhi said Holi is a day for celebration.
“It's a day for dance, and the most powerful thing we can do to fight against (the) empire is to take our autonomy and our bodies back,” Gandhi said. “It's really scary to dance in public. It's really scary to let yourself be free with your body, but that's how our ancestors were able to prosper, throughout all this time of hardship.”
Gandhi said their love for their culture and ancestors is a strength, and no amount of hatred is going to take that out of their bones.
“We need all emotions to be celebrated, especially joy, especially now when they're trying to take our joy away, " Gandhi said. “I hope for this upcoming event we're able to center joy and center the resiliency that is joy itself.”
The Ethnic Student Center on the seventh floor of the Viking Union is a wonderful place to see diversity and inclusiveness, Singh said.
“I would love to encourage people to show up to other ESC club events, and I think seeing the community that can be built will make it a little easier to interact in those conversations,” said Singh. “Any of the ESC clubs, all of them are so welcoming and they would love to see you there.”
Adah Bassok (she/her) is a city news reporter for The Front this fall quarter. She was previously a campus life reporter for The Front, and she is a news and editorial journalism major at Western. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her reading and exploring the outdoors. You can reach her at adahbassok.thefront@gmail.com.
