This article was first published 16 years ago

The Ellis Island Awards

May 12, 2009 03:56 IST

Image: The six winners :Jatin P Shah, Kiran Desai, Sant Singh Chatwal, Shiv C Dass, Uma Mysorekar, Joseph J Thomas.
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

The Ellis Island Medal of Honor was established to pay tribute to the achievements of various ancestry groups that comprise America's cultural mosaic, their website reports.

This year, six American-Indians were among the awardees. Jatin P Shah, Kiran Desai, Sant Singh Chatwal, Shiv C Dass, Uma Mysorekar and Joseph J Thomas won the award this year.

Image: Sant Singh Chatwal at the award ceremony
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

Sant Singh Chatwal - Chairman & CEO, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts was awarded a medal. Chatwal is a Sikh American Businessman who owns the 'Bombay Palace' chain of restaurants.

Image: Jatin Shah with his Medal
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

Jatin P Shah is the chair of head and neck service in the Department of Surgery at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre.

Image: Shiv Dass with his Medal
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

Shiv C Dass is the Chairman of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association in New York.

Image: Joseph J Thomas at the award ceremony
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

Doctor Joseph J Thomas , a dentist from Pennysylvania was awarded the medal.

Image: Uma Mysorekar at the awards function
Photographs: Paresh Gandhi

Doctor Uma Mysorekar, President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America was awarded a medal. Mysorekar was one of the six religious leaders invited to President Obama's National Prayer Service.