FINDLAY, Ohio — The University of Findlay on Wednesday recognized all of its students, faculty and staff whose native language isn't English in honor of International Mother Language Day.
The day, Feb. 21, has been observed around the world since 2000 and helps celebrate everyone's native language.
Along with sharing the various languages spoken on campus by the university's 400 international students from 47 different countries, the annual event also helps to ensure that these languages don't completely disappear.
"The rest of them have a possibility of vanishing from the world," said event emcee Dewan Rahman, who is from Bangladesh. "So, this is the hidden reason UNESCO declared the event to protect all of the languages of the world."
It also gives international students a chance to share parts of their home culture with domestic students as it may be difficult to connect with others when there is a language barrier.
"English is important now, but the first language, the mother language is most comfortable in general." said Japanese sophomore Shino Yamazaki.
Students from area elementary schools were invited to attend the event as well, to better familiarize them with people from other cultures and to show that our communities are stronger when we embrace diversity.
"Trying to share cultural diversity in the United States, and also the University of Findlay also focuses on it," Rahman said. "To engage their kids with maybe Japanese, Asia, Africa, or maybe South America, anything. So this is their aim: to engage, teach and educate children about multicultural diversity around the world."
The University of Findlay will also be hosting Japanese Artist in Residence Hiroshige Kato for International Night on March 8.