The Asian PacificAmerican Community are learning about each other. Many people say that the United States should be a melting pot. I did not believe in the melting pot theory. When you have a melting pot, you put all the ingredients into the bowl, stir it up, and everybody loses their identity. In the Asian PacificAmerican Community, there are over 150 languages, religions, cultures, everything you can think of. We do not want to lose that identity of our own history regardless of where our forefathers have come from. I want everybody to be proud to of the language of their forbearers, the religion, the history, the culture, and the arts. Again, i do not want us to lose our identity and the community in this great nation. Again, thank you very much to the members of the boards for this wonderful gift bestowed upon me, and lets go ahead to continue to hit the ball park hit the ball at the ballpark. Thank you very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we will bring up our founder to say a few last words. We would like to ask all of the previous speakers to come up for a photograph. It is the hard work of these Board Members without their hard work, none of this would happen. Thank you to everyone. We would also like for the judicial officers in the audience to come up as well. If you are a sponsor, please come on up. We will ask the founder to speak a few words. Ladies and gentlemen, we will start our Cultural Program after words. Food will be served in the four corners of the program is going on. I present you the founder. Thank you very much. Thank you. I especially want to thank the organizers and the leaders of the event. I want to thank you for coming here to celebrate the heritage month. I especially want to thank the state leaders, some are here, and some are not. Enjoy the rest of the celebration. Have a good time, take care. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, i would like to give a round of applause to our emceed tonight. Tonight. Arab heritage month celebration. singing . applause . Can we have another round of applause for that wonderful performance . applause . At this time, i would like to call up two of our Committee Members on stage if you could all join us please, and if you could all give them a big round of applause so my name is shady and i work with themarys city ever services here in city call hall and i want to welcome great a i think this thure we programmed over ten institutions in the city of San Francisco including the air Film Festival the arab culture and Committee Center but also with the tamp pais Public Library to have two events showcasing the rich arab america culture that exists here in the city of San Francisco and i want to thank you all for coming and i want to introduce joaquin for resident who ska great member of our community and has helped organize this event. applause . Thank you very much and good evening everyone on behalf of mayorly who will be joining us in a few moments i want to say thanks to all of you for being here tonight its always a pleasure for you go to welcome the community into city hall because you remind us our purpose in government so to serve and you you certainly bring life and culture and community into our very state halls and bring life to us, so thank you again. I want to thank the nominating committee and the Planning Committee for their excellent work in ensuring that those very Important Community members who do so much to ensure that our communities remain strong and vibrant, those who are under served typically continue to be served that our communities are strengthened and our ties are bound and strong. So, in 2012, of this year, we are very lucky enough to have two very distinguished honorees for our distinguished service a word for the city and county of San Francisco and the first person we will recognize tonight is vera noon tear if you can please u. S. A. Plast she is the social director at the arab culture and Community Center and she helps hundreds of families in trans by providing social work service and is i know how important that work is and how difficult that work is and i cant thank you enough to ensure that all of our communities are cared for and ensure that all of our competency ask ins San Francisco serve the arab and Arab Community know what to do when people walk through their doors so thank you so much vera. applause . Thank you so much for your support San Francisco we really appreciated it the Arab Community really appreciates it and tomorrow is a huge day for the community its the beginning of the big holiday, so happy new year, arab thank you. You. Thank you vera. applause . Vera i do say with ask you to stay with us up here for a moment. Hard work is never done alone and the best work is done in collaboration among very very strong key members in any organization. And so its with great pride we are able to recognize someone who has been serving the community for song here in San Francisco. And his name is abraham if you could please join us here on stage. applause . For those of you who are very strong supporters of the arab culture and Community Center you know abrahams work very well you joined in 2,003 as the america cultural and Community CenterYouth Program coordinate 98or for over a decade he has provided services to the arab couldnt health and education and immigration his days start in the early mornings, commuting between Court Appointments homes of low increase and disabled clints, hospitals and schools and his work leads into the late evenings he can be found in the late trip acs where he tutors nearly 50 America Youth to help them understand the important of education their futures in the world and Academic Excellence his mint doesnt stop at mentoring he helps many student pursue scholarships to per view their dreams for Higher Education he understand the value and importance of Community Service and empowering our people to be strong and proud and conscious and capable members of the community who never forgot their heritage. So abraham, on behalf of the city and county of the San Francisco x we will like to presented you with the 2012 distinguished service award. applause . Thank you all and i appreciate this very much from the government of San Francisco and i thanks our community at large and everyone who is here and for them, i thank them also and we will try our best and the commitment to work with our arabs will never be interrupted or anything the work is continuous w