General Electric Aviation Division in Lynn, Massachusetts hosted its annual global cultural fair on May 5, 2006 for all its employees. This was the 3rd consecutive year that the company held its annual fair with volunteer employees representing countries or regions /cultures from all over the world. There were a large number of tables representing ethnic groups such as African American, Spanish American, Jewish American, European American (Irish, Scandanavian, Greek, Portuguese) and Asian Americans. The asian display was co-ordinated by AAPF (Asian  Pacific American Forum), Lynn Local chapter  with the help of employee volunteers of Chinese, Korean, Pakistani, Middle-east and Indian origin. The fair included many displays, personal artifacts, dresses and a variety of ethnic foods. In addition, there were live entertainment including music and dancing. The afternoon fair was a great success, and was attended by many employees who found time to familiarize themselves with various cultures.

The idea of having global fair within GE originated several years ago when the company felt that its diverse global work force could harmonize and communicate more effectively if all of its employees are exposed to the diverse cultural aspects of its work force. This idea developed more impetus when work related travels took employees hopping across the globe at short notices, more so to the Asian society where life style and norms of business or pleasure are quite diverse. It has since caught on and several GE divisions are holding such fairs within US.

The Asian effort of the GE global fair was a great success, largely due to the efforts of the many volunteers who worked relentlessly to create several tri-fold displays depicting region’s geography, languages, dresses, technological advances, religions, and ancient civilization. Many of the GE volunteer employees dressed themselves with traditional Indian outfits. Foods served included Samosa, Gulab Jamun and Lassi. Calligraphy for guests included Hindi and Urdu scripts. Mehendi decorations were a hit with both women and men. Carom board became an object of curiosity with many trying their hands on the game, while a few others inspected the cricket bat and yet others tried to figure out how a Hukkah works. The entertainment included a Chinese show and captivating dance performances by Eastern Rhythm Dance School of Burlington with Ranjani Saigal and her pupils. The event was a nice treat for GE employees that made for a special Friday afternoon.

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