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Featured Personality
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| Harish Kotecha |
President Indian Community Center Austin
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Please give a brief biography for our readers. |
My parents moved to Uganda from Gujarat early last century. I was born in Uganda in a rather large family. My father and uncles were in business together and later went their separate ways. I was raised in Uganda, and did schooling through senior high there. I obtained my graduate degree in Electrical Engineering with honors at University of London.
I did lot of experiments in science and did science projects using ordinary materials in Uganda.
After graduating, I returned to Uganda and worked at couple of industries, where all my education was not used. I got married to Shobhana.
In late 1972, Idi Amin, the dictator, decided to throw all “Asians” out of Uganda. I tried to settle in the UK, but jobs were few at that time so came to USA.
I settled with one of the great companies, IBM in Manassas, Virginia. I was very creative and during my career at IBM, I have acquired a large number of US patents. IBM career was fulfilling but went fast. I had decided to take an early retirement the day I joined IBM and did so in 2001.
We have two wonderful children, Sonia who is a dedicated Social Worker and Savan who is a successful and upcoming song writer (American Idol: “Inside your Heaven”, Carry Underwood among numerous others).
I now have a start up company, Yokit, Inc. where we do healthy instant yogurt type of products for which we have applied for a US patent. I started to give back to the community in the last few years. I have served Gujarati Samaj and currently am committed to India Community Center, Austin Hindu Temple & Community Center and Indian American Coalition of Texas. In this process, I help other organizations like Pratham, Saheli, Miracle Foundation, Network of American Asian Organizations (NAAO), ASHA to name a few to get them familiarized within the communities. |
How do you best describe yourself today, and what hurdles you had to cross to get here? |
What describes me best today is that I have posed myself a few challenges to which I am driven.
I like to build our company since this is a new and innovative venture for me and contributes to some degree in eating healthy.
Also I like to have South Asians get involved in politics. It was our lack of involvement I politics that led us to be thrown out of Uganda! I also like to see that we all converge rather than diverge. To that degree, I am committed to having the Austin Hindu Temple & Community Center on the 76 acre site. This in reality could be Hindu Center with activities, senior living quarters, and exhibition portraying our culture, contributions and heritage and recreational center and so on. Also, to help the Asian communities to work together, I am getting involved through ICC with Network of American Asian Organization that is working to build a Asian Resource Center on a 7 acre site. City of Austin will have a bond package on the ballot this November for a $5M bond toward this ambitious project.
To accomplish this takes every bit of time. It is difficult to get people to help with these causes since the environment we live in demands much out of ourselves. Our time is torn amongst family, work, social life or our interests and commitments.
However, every bit of effort helps! And we are making progress. |
Do you miss your native land? What you will like to do for your native land? |
I am past my experiences in Uganda.
I feel that it is important to respect and maintain my Indian heritage in the US.
To that extend, education is key. Helping organizations committed to education in the Austin Area is where I can help and am helping. |
Please share your achievements and contribution towards the greater community. |
Over past few years, I feel very good about myself with this regards.
I have served as a President of Gujarati Samaj through which I have come to know lots of terrific people and understood better what it takes to work with volunteers.
I am Treasurer of Austin Hindu Temple and Community Center where in addition to contributing with the money affairs, I have helped with fund raising and other events, getting a communication started on semimonthly basis with the community, and I am proud to see the ground broken, site prepared and we are ready to pour concrete! I am hoping to spearhead an effort to put an exhibition that will feature India’s centuries of heritage, contributions and culture.
I am also currently the Chairman for India Community Center and the Treasurer. We recently successfully completed the celebration of India’s Independence Day where we also used it as a platform to familiarize the attendees of organizations committed to help with education in India. On September 16th we are hosting Visa Camp where the Houston Consulate will be in Austin to issue Indian visas on the same day.
To get South Asians get involved in politics, I am the membership VP for Indian American Coalition of Texas, I find it difficult to get South Asians get involved since they see no cause. We saw no cause to get involved in Uganda! We are making progress in increasing awareness and membership.
Recently I am familiarizing myself with the Asian Resource Center so that I can help promote it. I think this will help bring Asians together to share resources for the broader community. |
If you would give only one simple advice to the community, what would it be? |
I believe that the communities would work and share resources together. Would it not be awesome to have an event that is sponsored by say all Indian communities or Indians and Pakistani Community and so forth? We can each benefit to maintain our culture, traditions, religions and values by working together.
I understand that time is of essence for most of us, but at least show you r support to these causes by donating and becoming part of these organizations.
I also believe from my Uganda experience that we should get involved in politics. Indian American Coalition of Texas is a good start. As it grows, we can rename it as South American Asian Coalition of Texas. We could have South Asians in the city council, and representation at state and national level. That would be awesome! |
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