ASIAN AMERICAN COALITION OF CHICAGO HONORS MOHINA AHLUWALIA AND ISHA JOG AT THEIR 30th. LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT HYATT REGENCY O’HARE

CHICAGO, IL, Feb. 23, 2013
Rajinder Singh

The Asian American Coalition of Chicago honored Indian Americans Mohina Ahluwalia, and Isha Jog, at their 30th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration, Saturday, February 23, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont Illinois. This year's gala event themed “Celebrating Three Decades of Unified Leadership and Services”was hosted by the Vietnamese American community of Chicago, with Mr. Doug Nyugen and Dr. N.T. Hieu serving as event chairpersons.

Mrs. Mohina Ahluwalia, Chief Executive Officer Alfa Manufacturing Industries Inc., Past Chairperson, Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago, and with a stellar record of community service won the Indian American Exemplary Community Service Award. Ms. Isha Jog, Senior, Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, Distinguished Young Woman of Illinois 2013 and Miss Teen Illinois American Elegance, and a dance artist won the Indian American Youth Who Excel Award.

Mrs. Lourdes Mon, an educationist and an Asian TV show producer was honored with the Pan Asian American Award.
The Hon. James Thompson, Former Governor State of Illinois received the Coalition's GRAND ASIAN AWARD. This award is periodically presented to someone of non-Asian descent, who has made significant contributions to the Asian Pacific American community. 

“DePaul University Bhangra Team” presented by the Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago performed Punjabi folk dance Bhangra during the entertainment segment. Other dance performances included the Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese dance presentations.

More than 700 people attended this extravaganza dinner banquet. The attendees included Jesse White, Secretary of State of Illinois, State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, US Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and many government officers, media outlets, local dignitaries, business and community leaders including Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar, and the Indian counsel Honorable N.J. Gangte, and other counsel generals of many Asian countries. 

It was an all day event with education, health care, business and economy seminars during the day, an interfaith prayer and dinner banquet in the evening.
The first ever Asian American president of Chicago Bar Association Aurora Austriaco, a Filipino American attorney was the keynote speaker.

 “The purpose of this celebration is to showcase the culture, and contributions, of Asian Americans of Chicago on its road to empowerment,” said Rajinder Singh Mago board secretary of Asian American Coalition of Chicago.

An event held on this grand of a scale only once a year, Lunar New Year is traditionally the single largest organized annual event in Chicago’s Asian American community which takes turns to host the event. Indian Americans are the next hosts.
There were exhibition booths for businesses and community organizations in the foyer area during the cocktail reception hour. British India Sikh’s contribution to World Wars I & II was exhibited in photos.

The gavel was passed on to the next year’s host Japanese American community, accepted by Ms. Megan Nakano, president JACL.

Upcoming P.C.S. programs include:  “Rangla Punjab 2013,” scheduled for March 30, at Copernicus Theater Auditorium in Chicago and “Punjabi Sports Festival 2013,” planned for the summer of 2013. Scholarships for Punjabi youth will be awarded at the “Graduation Night 2013” in June, and 8th Annual PCS Chicago International Bhangra and Gidha Competition in late fall 2013.