ALBANY, N.Y. – Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the culture of Karen, an ethnic group from the regions of Thailand and Myanmar.
The event was organized by the City School District of Albany Office of English as New Language and Refugee Services.
The Karen language is the second language spoken by students in the Albany School District.
The New Year celebration was held at William S. Hackett Middle School.
Traditional songs, dances and food attracted Karen people from all over the Capital Region to honor their heritage and teach Albany about their culture.
“Something that really is showcased here is all the different talents that a lot of our kids have,” said Thomas Giglio, Director of ENL and Refugee Services for City School District of Albany. “By having community events such as this more frequently and it gets bigger each year, again, having more positive experiences with different members of the community. It just kind of builds a nice culture in the city.”
Giglio says there are more than 900 students learning English as a new language in the Albany school system, and that number continues to grow each year.