On Thursday, Georgia's working families came together to call for a comprehensive immigration policy that includes a road map to citizenship at the "Bringing Cultures Together for a Better America" celebration. The event was held at the office of Rep. Rob Woodall (R) in Atlanta and it showcased foods that represent the various cultures that make up Woodall's district. 

“We wanted to have an event that was a celebration of the different cultures that make this country so unique," said Charlie Flemming of the Georgia AFL-CIO. "Gwinnett County is a microcosm of the diverse nation we inhabit. We want to spend as much time as possible telling the Georgia Congressional Delegation that the Georgia AFL-CIO is engaged on this issue. This event allowed us to cut through some of the noise around this debate."

Attendees brought food items representing their Korean, Japanese, Caribbean, Mexican, Puerto Rican, African and European cultures.

"I got the idea from international day celebrations we have at our church. It is always a good event that brings people together," said DeLane Adams of the Georgia AFL-CIO. "So when we were thinking about August recess ideas,  I wanted us to do something that brought down the temperature of the debate. The one thing that brings people together is food and usually the way people in this country get exposed to different cultures is through food. The one thing we noticed is the participation rate jumped considerably. So it also told me that people want to participate in this debate and actions. This event made them feel like they can contribute, and it was a chance for people to hear the stories from so many different communities. One thing rang true, everyone wants us to find a solution."

A wide variety of groups participated in the event: Georgia AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 3204, Georgia Rural Urban Summit, Asian American Legal Advocacy Center, GALEO, MoveOn, OFA-Gwinnett, SEIU, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, Georgia Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and the Caribbean-American Advancement Foundation.

View a video slideshow of the event with photos by Roberto Gutierrez.