The pace of life combined with the deluge of information coming from social media gives little room to hit the pause button. The American culture of ‘busy’ness doesn’t offer enough opportunities to slow down, reflect, and engage with neighbors & civic leaders.

Instead, it conflates civic awareness with consumption of journalism and social media. We think we know a lot. The hyper-personalized echo chamber of social media is often tainted by bias and the lack of facts. I noticed I was becoming something else because I couldn’t slow down in my own echo chamber.

I decided to slow down and get my feet back on the ground again. I have chosen to double down on where I live and help the community. I enrolled in Round Rock’s UniverCity program and managed to complete this time-intensive activity. I applied for another civic program called Leadership Austin.

As an immigrant who’s now a U.S. Citizen, I feel indebted to America. I think more immigrants should make the effort to get involved in the community. I am grateful to the City of Round Rock for making the effort to engage the community with its programs. I know where my tax dollars are going. I see my city leaders working hard to maintain a high quality of life for me and my family.

I reflected on this topic before and encourage more immigrants to engage locally: Link

We need civic engagement and conversations with people who are different from us to overcome the awful biases created in this AI-fueled information age.

On this 4th of July, I reflect on a quote from the 32nd president of the United States.

What are we doing for those Americans who are struggling?