By Meagan Beck
mbeck@statenews.com
Although the concept of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is uniquely American, many international students can relate to the significance of the day because of similar issues in their own country.
Many schools in other countries teach the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to their students.
For Isabela Baptista, a graphic design senior from Brazil, the historical day is not a new concept.
“In Brazil, we learn about MLK’s history but we don’t have a day to celebrate it,” Baptista said.
The same goes for graduate student Kamran Ali from Pakistan, who said he learned about King in a textbook.
“We had a chapter in our English textbooks, which was an excerpt from some text related to him,” Ali said. “There was a poem as well, ‘free at last’ being one of its lines.”
Baptista said she did not celebrate the day until she arrived in the U.S.
Mechanical engineering sophomore Mohamed Stouka, a Libya native, said he also knew of King but did not learn more about him until he came to America.
“It was not until I came to the United States that I further read about him, became familiar with many of his quotes and the inspiration he gave to generations,” Stouka said.
While Martin Luther King Jr. Day recognizes King and those involved in the civil rights movement in the U.S., international students remember other marks in their countries’ history.
In Brazil, Baptista said the people celebrate Black Awareness Day on Nov. 20 to honor the death of Zumbi dos Palmares.
Baptista said Zumbi was a leader in the abolishment of slavery in Brazil.
“It’s a very important day to remember about the black people resistance against slavery and to celebrate the African culture that was brought to Brazil,” Baptista said.
Ali said in Pakistan people recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day but do not celebrate like in the United States.
He said a similar day of celebration would be the country’s Independence Day, which is on Aug. 14.
Stouka said Libya is a more ethnically diverse country without a dominant minority group.
“Some women’s rights are still somewhat oppressed in the Arab world,” Stouka said. “Women in the Middle East and North Africa should see Martin Luther as a role model and fight back.”
