Illuminated by the warm glow of the vibrant sunset, a singer stands on a stage lined with yellow and orange flowers as her voice softly drifts off toward the end of her performance. Accompanied by the cheering audience, her hands raise in time with her swaying hips as her pink half sari flows around her body. 

UT’s Asian American Culture Committee, a subcommittee of Campus Events and Entertainment, hosted Explore South Asia on Tuesday, where students got together to share parts of their South Asian culture with a larger audience. The event hosted a talent show that included three performers who each sang songs inspired by Bollywood and famous artists from South Asia. The rest of the night allowed individuals to mingle while enjoying South Asian videos, food and a wide range of music.

The three performers, each in traditional wear, brought unique experiences from their own culture to the stage. Sejal Jain, one of the performers, sang Bollywood fusion music and ended with an original song of her own.

“I’m just exposed to a lot more (South Asian) people my age,” said Jain, a management information systems and Spanish junior. “There’s a bit of an identity crisis once in a while, where it’s like, ‘Am I Indian; am I American?’ This (event) helps me combine that.”

Sudiksha Gudipati, events coordinator for Explore South Asia and economics freshman, said that the organization hopes to give underrepresented cultures a safe space to share their experiences while spreading cultural awareness and sensitivity. 

“This is amazing because everyone is brought together by their love or interest in South Asian culture,” Gudipati said. “I can see so many people talking to each other, maybe even making new friends, bonding over their love for their culture.”

Finding a seat at one of many tables filled with excited chatter, Jaiden Crosswell said she didn’t know what to expect going into the event. After eating food with other students and watching the night’s performances, Crosswell said she liked the engaging aspects of Explore South Asia. 

“(Sharing a meal) tells us about what (a culture) values as far as family, gathering and how they feel about people in general,” the English sophomore said. Similarly, “(dancing) is a way to express certain cultural ideas and tell a story that’s not written down, and you have to actually interact with somebody to teach it.” 

Radhika Kannan, marketing and business honors junior and chair for AAC, said she loved hearing music from her favorite South Asian movie in the air as she hurried around the event  meeting new people. Kannan said she wants events like Explore South Asia to encourage people to include South Asian communities when talking about Asia as a whole. 

“It really comes down to being able to understand people more fully, because if you don’t have exposure to their culture, you’re not going to ever be able to know where that person is coming from or things that are important to them,” Kannan said. “They might be able to share their interest (with) you, but if you’re not interested, that’s an entire part of their identity that you’re missing out on.”