As the name suggests, “Unity Dinner 2005” organized by the Indo-American Community Federation was all about bringing various ethnic communities in the San Francisco Bay Area together for one night to celebrate the amalgamation of diverse cultures that has become a unique symbol of this region. The sell-out event was held at the Newark-Fremont Hilton Jan 21, and is the fourth annual dinner organized by the IACF.

As the night began, members from the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Filipino and Caucasian communities intermingled and sat together at tables exchanging views and ideas with close to 70 public officials also present at the occasion. The list included Congressman Pete Stark, California’s insurance commissioner John Garamendi, State Assembly Member Alberto Torrico, the Mayor and council members of Fremont, members of the city’s chamber of commerce and school board.

“I saw a need for an event like this. I found that our people tend to make an island for themselves and not penetrating the mainstream community. We usually have our Diwali melas and cultural shows but nothing that reaches out to the community at large”, explains Jeevan Zutshi, Founder of IACF talking to India West.