Where cultures intertwine, community thrives | Guest column

Earlier this month, Indian American Community Services (IACS) gathered with neighbors, faith leaders, and community partners for a multifaith blessing ceremony at the future site of the IACS Kent Community Center. It was the first of many celebrations we look forward to hosting, and it marked the beginning of something greater than brick and mortar. The ceremony reminded us that places are not defined by buildings, but by the people who fill them.

That simple truth — that it is people who give a place its meaning — is why IACS chose Kent as the home for our new Community Center.

For more than 40 years, IACS has walked alongside Indian immigrant and refugee families in the Puget Sound region, listening, learning, and building together. We have been a bridge when systems fall short, connecting people to resources when mainstream services don’t understand their language, their culture, or their lived experience. We have been a place of dignity for seniors, offering connection and care in their later years. We have been hope for families, guidance for wage workers and small businesses, and a place of belonging for youth envisioning their future.

But while we have always met people where they are, we knew that to serve for the long haul, we needed a permanent home. That home had to be Kent.

Kent is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the nation— in the top 10, according to recent measures. More than 130 languages are spoken in the Kent School District. Walk down any street and you hear the sounds of the world. You see businesses rooted in many cultures, families practicing many faiths, and neighbors carrying stories that span continents.

This is what makes Kent flourish. And this is why IACS chose Kent.

For decades, Kent has been a fulcrum for immigrant families and small businesses. It is a place where needs meet action, where services and support can reach those who need them most, and where opportunities ripple outward to lift the broader community.

The City of Kent’s own race and equity commitments emphasize dismantling barriers and creating a community where all individuals can thrive. The IACS Community Center will contribute to that vision by offering a welcoming space where immigrants, refugees, workers, elders, and youth can find support and see themselves reflected in the community around them.

But the IACS Community Center we are building is not only for Indian immigrant and refugee families seeking culturally responsive support. It is designed to be a shared home for the entire community— an accessible gathering place for local organizations to host programs, for neighbors to connect, and for civic life to take root. When organizations come together under one roof, they don’t just share space; they share wisdom, build trust, and spark new ways of addressing challenges.

Our story began with a handful of immigrant families gathering to celebrate culture. Over time, it grew into a calling to serve all who come to our doors. We knew then, as we know now, that we are at our best when we build with one another.

When we officially open in Fall 2026, the IACS Kent Community Center will be more than a building. It will be a promise: that every elder will be honored, every child uplifted, every family supported, and every neighbor welcomed. Yes, it will be a place of support for the Indian immigrant and refugee community. But just as importantly, it will be a shared home for Kent’s wider community, where cultures intertwine, partners collaborate, and belonging is nurtured every day.

In opening these doors, we are planting seeds of belonging whose roots will anchor us today and whose branches will shelter generations yet to come. This is Kent at its best: diverse, connected, and flourishing together.

Lalita Uppala is the Executive Director of Indian American Community Services (IACS), the longest-serving Indian immigrant and refugee organization in the Pacific Northwest.