Community & Culture

February 13, 2019

Community is built and Culture is shared.  Foster City is a community where each family brings their perspective and culture to virtually each aspect of their lives. We celebrate our diversity in action and in words. As a result, our lives are richer and fuller for these experiences. Our City provides the place however we create the environment.
 
By sharing our community and cultures, we build a new and more vibrant experience for our children. They learn to appreciate and celebrate one another’s uniqueness. More importantly, they see the commonalities, which include core values and morals. 
 
Over the years, I have been fortunate to have been hosted by many communities around the globe. As a young athlete, I would spend many months abroad training and immersing myself into the culture of the communities hosting me. I would wander the streets, eat the food, and meet the locals. I have been fortunate to have visited over 70 countries and learned that all share the same core values. They value family, security, and hope - hope for a better tomorrow for their children and community. 
 
This is the starting place for conversation rather than conflict. We must start with our core values and speak of our commonalities. In this way we build bridges to action items rather than roadblocks to success.
 
A few years back while serving as Mayor, I was invited to Seoul, Korea and hosted by their top district, which is home to cutting edge bio-tech companies. We returned the favor and shared our community with their delegation later that same year. Continuing that tradition, I invited and hosted a young college senior from a top Korean University. He stayed three months and shared his knowledge of sport with our young athletes.
 
Now fast forward to this week, and we are hosting two top sports teams from a top Korean College and High School. They are coming for a cultural exchange and to share their top-level sport with our young Foster City athletes. Our children and families will interact with them in sport and socially. These experiences will be personal and profound and are sure to last a lifetime. In a small way, I am paying it back and forward for all those who provided me the same opportunity. 
 
So why does any of this matter? Community is built and culture is shared. We have built an amazing community with admirable core values. When others visit our small city, they see what we see: a place that celebrates family and values. We are the perfect place to experience what America is and what we all can be. 
 
It is each and every one of our responsibilities to be ambassadors for our amazing community. Our businesses need to provide windows and doors for others to visit and share. Our service clubs do this on a regular basis. Friendship is built be association and not alienation. 
 
Join us at the Council meeting on the 19th where we will recognize these young athletes who traveled half way around the world to celebrate sport and friendship. They are the future and will see the world we show them, one of possibility and bridges and not adversary and roadblocks. Feel free to join me any Friday for a cup of coffee at Penelope’s at 9:30 am.