On Wednesday, Grand Valley State University students piled into the Office of Multicultural Affairs to view and participate in discussion based on the film “Understanding Our Differences: Mexicans and Americans,” part of the OMA’s Diversity Brown Bag series and Hispanic Heritage Month.

The event was packed, with students sitting or standing to attend after the available seating was filled.

“Our hope is that we can continue to satisfy this curiosity by providing well-rounded awareness centered programming,” said Oliver Aguilera, a Multicultural assistant in the OMA.

The 25-minute film tells the story of neighbors, one from the U.S. and one from Mexico, who have little contact with each other because they don’t feel they have much in common.

As more immigrants have come from Mexico than any other county, it is important that both heritages learn to understand each other.

“People who have perceptions [about a race] never have asked a question,” said Danny Ha, program coordinator in the OMA.

Language and immigration were other sensitive subjects broached in the film and following discussion, which focused on tolerance and cultural sensitivity.

“America is seen as a place of opportunity,” a student in the film said. She saw this phrase to be contradicting, as some people in the U.S. don’t approve of immigrant workers.

“We should all look within, not without,” a student on the film said. “Out we’re all different, in we’re all the same. We’re all human beings.”

For more information on Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations or other Diversity Brown Bag events, visit www.gvsu.edu/oma.

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