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Rapping For A Cause

R S Shankar

Sarita Vasa feels community organizations have no meaning till they reach out to a large number of people and engage them all in social and political dialogue.

As executive director of the Indo-American Cultural Center in Santa Monica, Vasa, who has a degree in international development studies from the University of California at Los Angeles, has been working on presenting and documenting the diversity of Indo-American experiences through cultural, educational, social and community programming.

Recently, along with a number of associations, she organized a rap session, mainly for the 20-plus generation, to address the social, cultural and political issues in the mainstream and how they affect the ethnic minorities.

Helping run the event was Nishith Bhatt, a UCLA Ph D candidate in literature.

IACC, which holds cultural and social events throughout the year, will utilize the expertise gained at the rap session to have greater involvement of youth.

Vasa says there are plans to compile a comprehensive data of community organizations across the country. And that there are going to be more rap sessions.

One of the biggest challenges IAAC has undertaken involves the building and developing a multimedia museum and cultural center in southern California.

For more details, contact svasa@earthlink.net

If you would like to post any information about forthcoming events or community happenings, please email the details to bettypais@aol.com

Information and photographs can also be mailed to Betty Pais at 87-52 108th Street, 2nd Floor, Richmond Hill, NY 11418-2229, USA.

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