D. Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement
At the opening ceremony on October 22, the organization introduced its work and vision to members of the Sikh American and Bay Area communities. A large gathering of about 300 people including elected officials, members of the civil and human rights advocacy, humanitarian and educational communities; government officials from the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US State Attorney for Northern California, the Community Relations Service (CRS) were present on the occasion.
D. Paul Montiero, Associate Director of Community Relations at White House was the Chief Guest. Jatinder Singh, Director of United Sikhs, stated, “The center will serve as the primary institution in addressing the needs of the community in the Bay area.” Fremont is the center of the American Sikh population in the Bay Area, and hence a perfect location for the West coast office, he said.
“Whether it is mentoring young kids, whether it is feeding needy people, or helping other countries in natural disasters and whether it is protecting the civil rights and civil liberties of all the people, United Sikhs’ work should be saluted,” said Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement in his key note speech.
US Attorney for Northern District of California Melinda Haag congratulated the organization on opening its second office in the western region and extended an invitation to discuss any civil rights issues. “United Sikhs played incredibly important role in building bonds with diversities,” Haag added.
The center in Fremont offers education programs such as the After School Education Assistance Program, SAT tutoring for high school students, and the youth leadership program. Plans are in place for health programs such as screenings and education, as well as legal assistance programs. Kashmir Singh, Western Region Director of the organization reiterated that, “The office is envisioned to be a substantive resource for the community. United Sikhs is currently looking for an attorney and a community organizer to enable seamless and smooth functioning of the organization. The office expects to handle discrimination law suits and will empower the community at large enabling Sikhs to integrate with the mainstream community.”
Fremont City Mayor Bob Wasserman and Human Services Director, Suzanne Shenfil welcomed the new office and announced the partnership of United Sikhs office with the City’s family resource center.
India Post News Service
