Asian American Coalition of Chicago honored the following Indian Americans at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.  (L to R) Kevin S. Atwal - Youth Who Excels – Indian American Awardee, Onkar S. Sangha Community Service Awardee, Mohinderjit Singh Saini Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Awardee.

 

 

 

 

 

PCS Chicago sponsored “Balle Bhangra” group of University of Chicago presented “Bhangra” during Asian American Unity dance “Our Silk Road” at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PCS Chicago sponsored “Balle Bhangra” group of University of Chicago presented “Bhangra” during Asian American Unity dance “Our Silk Road” at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.  (L to R) Latha Shrivatsa,  Priya Nandapurkar, Xiao Xiao, Meredith Langstaff

 

 

 

 

PCS Chicago sponsored “Balle Bhangra” group of University of Chicago with PCS Officials, Punjabi dholis and Unity Dance Director Marc Rita after “Bhangra” performance during Asian American Unity dance “Our Silk Road” at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago officials and associates at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Sajid Chaudhary, Rajinder Singh Mago, Rocky Saini, Sunny Kular, Onkar Singh Sangha, Mohinderjit Singh Saini, Parminder S. Ghotra and Balwinder Singh.

 

 

 

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago officials with Fox TV Vice President Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Mullen at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Mohinderjit S. Saini, Balwinder Singh, Sunny S. Kular, Mrs. Mullen, Rajinder Singh Mago, Mr. Patrick Mullen, Onkar S. Sangha

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mr. Kevin S. Atwal receiving the “Youth Who Excels” award for Indian American Community at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Leonard M. Louie, Onkar S. Sangha, C.W. Chan

 

 

 

 

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago officials and associates with Lisa Ling, Key Note Speaker at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Satnam S. Mago, Onkar S. Sangha, Kevin S. Atwal, Rajinder Singh Mago, Sunny Kular, Lisa Ling, Ronny Kular, Navinder K. Mago, Amarjit K. Atwal.

 

 

 

 

 
Mr. Mohinderjit S. Saini giving acceptance speech after receiving the prestigious Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Mohinderjit S. Saini receiving the prestigious Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Mohinderjit S. Saini, Darryl Tom, Mrs. Valerie Tom, Leonard M. Louie, C.W. Chan, Linda Yu.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Onkar Singh Sangha receiving the Indian American Community Service Award at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Leonard M. Louie, Onkar S. Sangha, C.W. Chan

 

 

 

 

 
Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago officials and associates with former Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka at the 24th Asian American Coalition of Chicago Lunar New Year Celebration on March 3, 2007, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont Illinois.

(L to R) Mohinderjit S. Saini, Nadja Lalvana, Judy Bar Topinka, Onkar S. Sangha

 

 

 

 

News Release

Press Release: Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago
Contact: Rajinder Singh Mago 630-440-7730
 

ASIAN AMERICAN COALITION OF CHICAGO HONORS MOHINDERJIT SINGH SAINI, ONKAR SINGH SANGHA, AND KEVINDEEP SINGH ATWAL

******************************************************************************

CHICAGO, IL - - The Asian American Coalition of Chicago honored Mohinderjit Singh Saini, Onkar Singh Sangha and Kevindeep Singh Atwal at their 24th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, March 3, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. This year's gala event themed "Roar with the boar 2007/4705" was hosted by the Chinese American community of Chicago. More than 1100 people attended including many local dignitaries and the counsel generals of India and the other Asian countries. 

According to the latest Census, the Asian Pacific American population in Illinois numbers approximately 428,213, or 3.4% of the statewide population. This celebration is traditionally the single largest organized annual event in Chicago's Asian American community. 

http://www.pcschicago.org/aa/index.htm         www.AACChicago.org

Indian American Mohinderjit Singh Saini received the prestigious “Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award” presented by the coalition chair Leonard Louie, TV celebrity Linda Yu, and the Ping Tom family. Mr. Saini was honored for his numerous leadership positions in the community. He is Lead Office Engineer for O’Hare Modernization Program www.OHareModernization.org He is co-founder, past president, and board of governors of Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago. He is a member Zoning Board of Appeals Village of Palatine, and also community ambassador for Chicago Children’s Museum. He has been actively involved with the Asian American Coalition programs planning since 1987. 

Onkar Singh Sangha received the Indian American Community Service Award. Mr. Sangha is a supervisor, customer service, US Post Office in Oak Park Illinois. He is a Republican Party committeeman in Elmhurst Illinois and a probable candidate for trustee of Addison Township in Illinois. He is also a past president and on the board of advisors of Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago, and a regular participant of the Asian American coalition.

Kevindeep Singh Atwal received “Youth who Excels“ Award. Kevin a freshman at Northwestern University Evanston Illinois is on Dean’s list. He is also a dedicated Indian community service volunteer.

Village of Skokie Illinois Mayor George Van Dusen received the Grand Asian Award given to someone of non-Asian descent, who has made significant contributions to the Asian Pacific American community. Skokie is a municipality with one of the highest percentages of Asians (21.2%, according to US Census 2000). Mayor Van Dusen has appointed 24 Asian Americans to various Village Boards and Commissions, thus encouraging the community to be active in Village governance.

Other Community Service Awards and “Youth Who Excels” awards were also given to representatives of various other participating communities.

“We are here to stay. Asian American solidarity, and a unified voice is more likely to be heard by the politicians compared to the small individual community voices,” said Rajinder Singh Mago of Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago.

“I am humbled and greatly honored to be bestowed upon this year’s prestigious Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Award. I think that the Asian Americans have made giant contributions to the progress of this great nation and we are equally entitled to our share of say in its governance” said Mohinderjit Singh Saini, the 2007 Pan Asian American Ping Tom Memorial Awardee.

The Key Note address of the evening was given by Ms. Lisa Ling, reporter National Geographic Channel. Naisy Dolar, an Asian American, who qualified for a run off election in Chicago’s 50th aldermanic ward also addressed the gathering.

Artists from the participating Asian American communities performed a colorful unity dance number “Our Silk Road” directed by Marc Rita. “Balle Bhangra” Team of University of Chicago which also participated in PCS Bhangra and Gidha Competition 2006 was part of this unity dance. The performers included Latha Shrivatsa,  Priya Nandapurkar, Xiao Xiao, Meredith Langstaff. Sukhi Basati and Jaspreet Singh played superb Punjabi Dhol during the performance.

The Chicago celebrity TV personalities who presented the program included Judy Hsu, ABC 7 News; Linda Yu, ABC 7 News; Art Norman, NBC5 Chicago; Nancy Loo, FOX Chicago TV News; Joanie Lum, CBS 2 Chicago News; Mai Martinez, CBS 2 Chicago News; Julian Nieh, WBBM-FM & B96 Radio; Rick O'Dell, WNUA 95.5 FM Radio; Judy Wang, CLTV News, and Tom Horton.

Following community leaders received 2007 Community Service Award:

Duc Huang-Chinese American, Francis L. Mon - Filipino American, Onkar Singh Sangha - Indian American, Astrid S. Haryati - Indonesian American, Tsune Nakagawa - Japanese American, Dr. Young K. Kang - Korean American, Nadia M. Akhtar - Pakistani American, Manoch Bhudvanbhen - Thai American, No Van Vo - Vietnamese American

The Coalition also honored the following students with the 2007 Youth Who Excels Award:

Jennifer Chui - Chinese American, Kristina A. Mascarenas, - Filipino American, Kevindeep Singh Atwal - Indian American, Putria Aulia Kusumo - Indonesian American, Patrick G. Lee - Korean American, Saba Rashid, - Pakistani American Community, Bing Moraras - Thai American Community, Anhdao Vu - Vietnamese American.

The gavel was passed on to the next year’s host Pakistani American community, accepted by the host committee chair Sharmeen Younus and co-chairs Pamela Leeming and Nadia Akhtar.

The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago and Sikh American Heritage Organization officials have consistently and proactively been involved in Asian American Coalition of Chicago for the last two decades.

The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago is a not-for-profit community organization devoted to promoting education, good citizenship, Punjabi culture, language, performing arts, healthy life style, and sports in the metropolitan Chicago area.

Other P.C.S. programs include:  “Rangla Punjab 2007,” scheduled for April 7, at Gateway Theater in Chicago. Scholarships for Punjabi youth will be awarded at the “Graduation Night 2007” on June 10, 2007. “Punjabi Sports Festival 2007” is planned for the summer of 2007. and 6th International Bhangra and Gidha Competition on October 27, 2007.

Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago
P.O. Box 1244, Palatine, IL 60078
Ph: 847-359-5727, Fax: 847-359-1107
PCS website http://www.pcschicago.org/