The 2004 Multicultural Heritage Award winners.

The Wells Fargo 9th Annual Multicultural Heritage Awards was held on June 29, 2004 at the Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel. This program was created to recognize and honor the San Diego-area companies that go above and beyond to celebrate ethnic diversity in the workplace and in the community. These outstanding firms, small, medium and large, not only participate in San Diego's diverse community, they define it. Leading their industries through programs, policies and plans, they set the bar for others to attain. Congratulations to each of these winners for their continued commitment to nurturing a multicultural workplace.

SMALL BUSINESS CATEGORY Southwestern College Sun Newspaper

The Sun student newspaper has set an example for its peers, profession and the community at large through its progressive outlook, respect for diverse lifestyles and coverage of under-served communities that rarely make the front page.

As the axiom goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In this case, The Sun should feel honored. Iris one of the most imitated college papers in California. Not only do other community college newspapers frequently use Sun articles on multicultural subjects, often the major print and electronic media in San Diego and around the county follow up on news and features published in the Sun.

The paper's student reporters are often told they are the first journalists to set foot in many communities and write about their issues. The paper is able to communicate and write about Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Chinese and Tagalog speakers and has done a thorough job covering the holidays, traditions, political concerns, music and other cultural underpinnings of all segments of the community.

The Sun is unique to college newspapers in that it transcends the boundaries of the college and serves the entire community. The paper is circulated in the South Bay, East County, downtown and San Ysidro Border areas. It has become the newspaper of the disenfranchised communities in the South Bay, as well as affluent communities like Bonita and Eastern Chula Vista.

The Sun has become a respected institution at Southwestern College largely due to its overarching sense of fairness and its belief in the power of collective wisdom from people of different backgrounds. Sun articles about harassment of African Americans on…