Nothing reflects South Florida’s diversity like the region’s dedicated and hardworking community of nursing professionals. The Haitian American Nursing Association (HANA) certainly believes so, celebrating their profession’s cultural variety by hosting this year’s Multicultural Festival, held this past Saturday at Miami Dade College’s North Campus.
Members from ten local ethnic associations showed up to support the annual event. President of the Florida Nurses Association Dr. Leah Kinnaird served as keynote speaker, delivering an address on the value of cultural diversity in the field. Each association also presented their latest initiatives and goals to fellow members of the field. In addition, to celebrate the rich cultural backgrounds of South Florida’s nursing professionals, members of each nurses association presented some aspect of their traditional culture, from a traditional dance performance by HANA members to a fan dancing from the Philippine Nurses Association of South Florida. Attendees could also sample delicious traditional dishes from each association.
Formed 6 years ago, the event, says HANA President Amina Dubuisson, has become a crucial way “of getting to know each other and about other cultures.”
Though the cultural immersion aspect of the event is always enjoyed by attendees, it’s the sharing of professional knowledge across ethnic boundaries that prove immensely valuable, says Dubuisson.
“As professionals, even though we are from different groups, it’s essential that we support each other,” says Dubussion. “This event works to mainly bring awareness to the community about all the associations and the way we can give back to our communities together.”
Ten associations in all participated in the event, including the Jamaican Nurse Association of Florida (JNAF), The Trinidad and Tobago Nurses Association of South Florida (TTNASF), Barbados Nurses Association of Florida (BNAFL), the Black Nurses Association – Miami Chapter (BNA-MC), the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), and the International Nurses Association of American (INAA).
