Members of the Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship (HRAACF) met with the sponsors of the Cultural Rhythms festival yesterday morning to discuss the group's removal from the show schedule.

Although the group was not reinserted into the program, fellowship executive team members said they are happy with the outcome of their meeting with the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.

"Our agenda wasn't getting into this year's Cultural Rhythms," said Jeffrey R. Gu '00. "We just wanted them to understand what our organization is all about... It was sort of like a reconciliation."

Last week, following the group's removal from the schedule, Gu and Abigail L. Hing '99 wrote a letter to the foundation protesting the decision, which the group understood to be based on the religious content of their performance.

"They had reviewed our performance and decided that it was inappropriate," Hing said.

HRAACF members had originally planned to perform "body worship," hand motions set to religious music. In their letter, Gu and Hing wrote that this type of worship is practiced mostly by the Asian-American community.

"[It] is one example of the ethnic contributions Asian Americans bring to the Western tradition," they wrote.

At the meeting yesterday morning, Hing said, foundation officials "expressed an understanding that they also want to be evolving as well in their understanding of culture and ethnicity."

Foundation Student Activities Coordinator Nana E. Coleman '98 called the meeting "productive" and said the foundation hoped the group would continue communicating with the student advisory committee.

Hing said that the foundation does not yet recognize "the intersection of culture and religion" in the group's performance.

But Hing characterized the meeting as "a big step forward" and said that after speaking with foundation officials, she thinks they are "more willing to understand."

"While they might be familiar with [the overlap between religion and cul- ture] in some constructions...they weren't thatfamiliar with Asian American Christian culture. Itwas easy for them to overlook it as relevant toCultural Rhythms," Hing said.

Gu said foundation officials emphasized theorganization's inclusiveness, while Hing in turnsaid HRAACF supports Cultural Rhythms.

"They are trying to appreciate diversity andthat is very much part of our mission," Hing said."We were really glad to be able to speak to themand clear things up. We felt that the atmospherebetween our organizations is more forward-lookingnow. We're looking for ways that we can help eachother in the future."

"I hope next year we will get a chance to showthe Harvard community what we're about," Gu said.

An Audience With the Prince