Cultural exchange: Graduate Program hosts annual international party

Italy and South Africa are 5,000 miles apart. But at the annual international party hosted by the Harvard Law School LL.M. Class of 2013 on Feb. 16, the countries were suddenly neighbors, with students from each country handing out their favorite traditional treats while dressed as gondoliers or rugby players.

Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and family members filled the Harkness Commons in the Caspersen Student Center for a chance to immerse themselves in the cultures of their graduate student classmates, who hail from more than 70 countries. They filled their plates with dishes ranging from Chinese chicken feet and Australian Vegemite to Italian Nutella and Middle Eastern hummus.

“It’s really an opportunity for a lot of the LL.M class, who feel like they’re here being hosted by Americans, to give back and host in return,” said Jennifer Chan, an LL.M. from Vancouver, British Columbia, who helped organize this year’s party. “Everyone’s really proud to put on their cultural dress and prepare the foods that they love and miss from home.” The international party has been an annual event at the law school for more than a decade.

Read more on the Harvard Law School website.