Immigration attorney, author and immigration reform advocate Richard Herman invited a couple hundred like-minded people to a Multicultural Happy Hour at the new Tomo Sushi and Hibachi restaurant on West 9th Street. The theme of the event was Building a Multicultural Alliance for Immigration Reform and The Immigrant-Friendly City.

This short video interview with Richard Herman explains the rationale behind the sold out event.

Besides the networking and sushi sampling, a few short presentations were made.

Reverend Max Rodas was born in Guatemala City Guatemala and immigrated to Cleveland when he was 12 years old. He and his wife started Nueva Luz to help those with HIV/AIDs. He told how if you have a dream and passion and are willing to work hard you can make it in Cleveland and the US.

Richard Herman and Rev. Max Rodas

Rev. Max Rodas

Serbian immigrant Velimir Lucic came to Cleveland looking for freedom and took his dream and passion and turned it into an entrepreneurial venture. He joined with an immigrant from China and one from Mexico to open Tomo, a Japanese (talk about diversity!) sushi bar and hibachi restaurant. He told how immigrants like him come to make the country better and more beautiful.

Velimir Lucic

Richard Herman said that "Immigrant is not a dirty word." He compared Toronto of 40 years ago to today's Cleveland. Now Toronto is booming because they actively welcomed immigrants.

Richard Herman

Richard Herman

Jose Mendez is a leader from the Cleveland chapter of Dream Activist Ohio. Jose came to the US as a child and has been affected adversely by his family's undocumented status in several ways such as the inability to get a driver's license and being forced to pay the international rate (3 times higher) to attend Ohio's colleges and universities. Find out more - Dream Activist website

Jose Mendez

Richard Romero

Joe Cole, Executive Director, TiE Ohio

Joe Cole, Executive Director, TiE Ohio

Enjoy these images from the first Multicultural Happy Hour

Susan Lohwater

Ken Shirilla and Velimir Lucic

Pradip Kamat and Syed S. Ali

James Dahlberg, Joe Cole and Raj Pallapu

Michael Sreshta and Councilwoman Mamie Mitchell

Henry Luu and Jason Lin

Germaine Pena Ferman, Angel Glavan and Laura McShane

Michelle Bashian and Cynthia Young

Ratanjit Sondhe and Dr. Abheer Jayakar

Brian Hoffman

Candy Roesler and Hiram de Jesus

Rich Crepage and Sr. Rita Mary Harwood ND

George Burke

Connie Atkins and Dan Hanson

Virginia Varaljay and Eduardo Romero

Henry Luu, Bo Li, Nianfo Tang, Jason Lin and Liming Wang

Bharat Kumar, Asim Datta and Raj Pallapu

Fatima Sabeiha, Marian Anzalone and Joanne Blanchard

Linna and Dan Jacobson with Velimir Lucic

Lute Harmon and Vanni Wang

Harry Weller and Bogdan Bilboaca

Syed S. Ali and Maria Pujana

Richard Herman and Pierre Bejjani

Mansfield Frazier

Vanni Wang, Richard Herman and Deb Roy

Joe Meissner and Jason Lin

Gia Hoa Ryan and Judge Marilyn Cassady

Diverse crowd at Cleveland multicultural happy hour

Richard Herman, Pradip Kamat,
Councilman Zack Reed and friends

Ken and Maryann Kovach, Asim Datta,
Murat Gurer and Anjan Ghose

Velimir Lucic, Joe Cole and Richard Herman

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Cleveland Multicultural Happy Hour Tomo Hibachi and SushiFebruary 21, 2013

Cleveland Multicultural Happy Hour
Tomo Hibachi and Sushi
February 21, 2013