URBANA — The halls of Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana were a burst of color, sound and lively community late Friday afternoon. The kickoff celebration for “Welcoming Week” took place Sept. 11. The annual campaign celebrates the efforts of communities to become a welcoming place for all.
Flags from various countries lined the walls and the smells of food from local vendors – La Mixteca Restaurant and Siam Terrace – filled the air as people eagerly lined up to fill their plates with options including burritos, tacos, pad thai chicken and red curry fried rice.
“If you look around Champaign-Urbana and central Illinois, you will notice that it is a vibrant, colorful and diverse community,” said Ashlyn Henke, assistant director of programs at The Refugee Center. “Welcoming Week” is “a chance for communities to celebrate that they have a common value.”
The events are hosted by the University YMCA’s New American Welcome Center, in partnership with other local groups.
‘Culture is a gift’
The kickoff celebration featured a variety of musical performances, including Mariachi Tigres de Urbana — a group of musicians from Urbana High School.
Vocalist and violinist Gisselle Alquicira, a senior, took the stage with confidence. After her performance, she said in an interview: “It’s just so beautiful to see all these cultures getting together and just enjoying each other’s art.”
Alquicira says music is a language all its own.
“You may not understand the words but you understand the emotion,” she said.
Joel Diaz, a senior at the University of Urbana-Champaign and president of Illinois Coalition Assisting Undocumented Students Education (I-CAUSE), said he encourages people to be open-minded.
“Let’s recognize that we are not the only ones on this great amazing Earth,” he said. “Culture is a gift that you can share with others… and that might take you down a whole rabbit hole of an amazing culture that you have yet to discover.”
A celebration of diversity
Additional performers included Afro D & Global Soundwaves, Les Claviers and an Ngoma drumming group.
Throughout, attendees clapped, danced and cheered.
In his performance, rapper and educator Pete Shungu, also known by his stage name, Afro D, called on people to consider the challenges of immigrating to a new country, saying: “Step into the shoes of a newly arrived immigrant trying to learn English, while people call them ignorant… Your native language don’t determine your worth.”
“Welcoming Week” continues through Saturday, Sept. 19, with upcoming events including an International Family Game night Tuesday evening hosted by First Presbyterian Church and a concert “The Mosaic,” hosted by the City of Champaign at Neil Street Plaza on Friday.
The final event of Welcoming Week — the 13th Annual 2026 Immigrant Welcome Awards — will take place at 1:30 pm Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Urbana Free Library.