As a part of an ongoing effort to enhance the Sugar Land’s ability to serve all segments of the community, a half-day Asian-Indian “101” seminar was recently held for city department directors and key staff members.
The program, held on June 4, was the second in a series of sessions hosted by the City Manager’s Multi-Cultural Advisory Team.
ASIAN-INDIAN 101 – Taking part in Sugar Land’s recent Asian-Indian 101 program were, front from left, Dinesh Shah, Jyotsana Amin, Umesh Saripilla, City Manager Allen Bogard, Nisha Mirani, Dinesh Saripilla, Rachel Varghese, Sunanda Nair, Rajan Radhakrishnan and Rick Pal; back row, Gitesh Desai, Kanu Amin, Sanjay Rao and Shalin Dalal.
City Manager Allen Bogard welcomed city staff and guest speakers, telling them the Asian-Indian community was a vital part of Sugar Land’s continuing development as one of the best places in the nation to live and work.
“Your contributions are many, and we join with you today to learn more about the Asian-Indian culture in order to further our understanding and communication,” Bogard told some of the Asian-Indian guests in attendance.
The session included a presentation on the demography and customs of the four main regions of India, with a focus on why Asian-Indians choose to live in Sugar Land and how their culture impacts local service delivery.
Following the presentation, attendees were able to ask a panel of community leaders specific questions such as whether or not emergency notifications need to be translated, what the perception of government is within the Asian-Indian community and which business etiquette practices need to be better understood by city employees.
City officials noted that Asian-Indians are one of the fastest growing and most educated minority groups in the United States. Though they make up less than one percent of the United States population, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Sugar Land’s Asian-Indian population at more than six percent in 2000, and city officials expect that number to be much higher in the 2010 Census.
“There is a constant among Asian-Indians,” said Dinesh Shah, a member of the City’s Multi-Cultural Advisory Team. “It is continually striving to do better. You will see in us a very strong work ethic. We feel very much at home in Sugar Land.”
The “101” sessions are part of a larger city multi-cultural program which was established by Bogard in April 2008. The effort focuses on three primary objectives, which are:
- to enhance the ability for the city to meet the needs of residents of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds;
- promote an understanding of all cultures among all of our residents; and
- build opportunities for residents of all backgrounds to share in and be a part of Sugar Land, Texan and American traditions.
Translated? This is the U.S.A. We speak English here.