Welcome to Issue #001 of My Inner Circle. Why this is in your inbox? Here’s where I share what’s on my mind. This time, it’s why we decided to become U.S. citizens.
Being a 3rd generation immigrant myself I love your story. My Grandparents didn't want my mother or her siblings speaking Italian as we were to become Americans but I wish that was part of my heritage. I love you have continued all your family languages. My Grandmother arrived from Italy at 3 years old through Ellis Island New York, we have a plaque with her name to commemorate her arrival on the island. I am glad that's not a place or a process used today. Happy 4th of July and glad to see you became a US Citizen. Enjoy your American dream, it is whatever you make of it and has no limits!
Thank you for sharing. Honoring your grandmother at Ellis Island is powerful. We've been thinking of adding a plaque to a bench at our neighborhood playground, where we spend so much time with the kids. I hope you had a happy 4th!
Me siento muy indentificado con tu experiencia y forma de ver la vida. Me vine a USA en 2010 con un intercambio y aquí sigo ya con mi propia familia americana y trabajando en semiconductores. Conseguí la ciudadanía hace unas semanas y te hace pensar mucho. Felicidades.
Welcome to the American Family, Armand! I love your story! You are a true inspiration of coming to America with your priorities in the right place! You did not take it lightly. You should never forget your European heritage, and no one should ever expect you to! Embracing your adoptive nation and people is special, and I embrace you as a fellow citizen! Thank you for coming to America and making a difference!
Armand!!, reading your story just reminded me — it was always kinda obvious you’d end up where you are now. Proof that dreams don’t just happen, you gotta work for them.
What I remember from school is you being super focused, disciplined, and not really caring about what everyone else was doing. You had a goal and went for it.
Big congrats, Armand. Glad we crossed paths. I still remember getting in trouble for being a rebel and getting sat next to you — ended up learning more math than ever! hahaha.
Big hug,
PD: Sorry About my english haha i think its good. XD
Alejo! Tengo buenos recuerdos de esos tiempos en los Sales jeje Yo también me acuerdo de esa vez que te sentaron a mi lado 😂 y si, hiciste que las clases de mates fueran mucho más entretenidas.
A ver si nos vemos un dia o hacemos un reunion de todos!
As someone who made a move in the opposite direction (NYC to Munich - 6.5 years here now), really interesting read/reflection! I was born in the U.S., but my parents immigrated to the U.S. from China for work in the 90s - my dad works in the semiconductor industry (actually both my parents worked for IBM at one point!) and I still remember helping them study for their citizenship tests when I was a kid, congrats on yours!! The first conversation I ever had with my then-friend, now-partner was about the “sky’s-the-limit” idea that you mentioned - and was a big realization for me that something I had assumed just everyone believed was actually quite American? That me growing up with the idea that I could be anything that I wanted when I grew up if I just worked hard enough and believed in myself and that was “success”, was very different then the culture he, and everyone else he knew grew up with (he’s half French, half German) - which was more about being happy and not being pushed/driven as much (I think there’s probably a good middle here to be found). And sometimes he wondered what his life would’ve looked like if he had that push (which I resented so much from my own parents - the ultimate believers in the American Dream to this day - as a teenager) (his parents are wonderful and he’s also super happy and fulfilled in his life / career, he’s just a reflective person 😂).
This was a massive run on set of sentences and I think I could write my own essay on this so I’ll just stop here - but thanks again for this thoughtful reflection!!
My international adventure began when work first took me from India to Taiwan. That move marked the beginning of a transformative journey—one that would span continents and shape the course of my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
From Taiwan, I moved to Venezuela, where I met my then-girlfriend, who would later become my partner in both life and adventure. Together, we spent a few years in Colombia before eventually making our way to the United States.
While in South America, I had started a consulting company. It grew to four consultants and became profitable, something I am still proud of. But the promise and potential of the U.S. led me to make a bold decision—I partnered with a boutique American firm and brought all the consultants to the U.S. through H1B visas. Back in the early 2000s, the path to entrepreneurship for immigrants was not as accessible as it is today. The journey was filled with challenges, and despite my early success, I eventually had to close down my company to focus on securing permanent residency for my wife and myself.
Those early years in the U.S. were tough, filled with uncertainty and sacrifice. But we stayed focused, and after much deliberation, we decided to pursue U.S. citizenship. For me, it meant giving up my Indian citizenship, as India does not allow dual nationality. That was not an easy decision—India is where my roots lie—but it was a necessary step toward building a future for our growing family.
Our first daughter was born in 2015, a life-changing moment that made the decision to become U.S. citizens in 2016 even more compelling. From that point on, there was no looking back. We had our second daughter in 2018. We’ve worked hard to create a stable, fulfilling life for our two daughters. While they celebrate and cherish our Indian and Latin American heritage, I see them first as Americans.
To me, the United States remains the most meritocratic nation in the world. Despite the criticisms it gets, our nation continues to offer opportunities to those who work hard and persevere. You can feel it in the air—stories of struggle turning into success, of dreams turning into reality.
Do I miss India? Absolutely. I carry my roots with pride. But today, I see myself first as an American, and then as an Indian American. This country gave me the platform to dream big and the freedom to pursue those dreams—and I believe it will continue to do the same for future generations, including my daughters.
Beautifully written. I had a similar journey—moving from India to the Middle East for work, and eventually settling in Canada as a permanent resident before becoming a citizen a few years ago. I’ve often found myself caught between worlds—sometimes feeling like I don’t fully belong anywhere, and other times feeling deeply connected to both places. At the end of the day, what matters most to me is living in a place where I feel my children can grow up safely and where I’ve found opportunities that make me excited to work and grow.
Me encantó leer tu historia… yo soy venezolano y me hice ciudadano americano este año, después de mucho esfuerzo logré conseguir un trabajo en analytics & machine learning, siento que por fin he alcanzado una posición donde tengo recursos, la flexibilidad y el tiempo para disfrutarlos/viajar y seguir explorando el mundo y visitando amistades. Tuve la dicha de viajar a España por primera vez este año, quedarme en casa de mi mejor amigo de la universidad en Madrid, viajar con él a Barcelona, ir a ver a una de nuestras bandas favoritas, visitar más amigos y familia en Valencia, y luego conocer Atenas y Mykonos con mi esposo y unos amigos de acá de Brooklyn… y wow, estuvo tan lindo recordar que hay muchas otras formas de vivir y ser feliz, pero me siento muy agradecido de tener la oportunidad de luchar por mis sueños y anhelos en NY, pero se siente genial saber que ahora tengo muchas menos ataduras y que el mundo es mi ostra. Un abrazo para ti y tu familia Armand, gracias por compartir tu experiencia tan humana y enriquecedora!
Gracias Armand! Trabajo en una fintech company. Yo pertenezco al equipo de Data Analytics (not Data Science), entonces no he tenido que construir modelos para usar en producción, pero un ejemplo de una aplicación de ML fue desarrollar un logistic regression model para evaluar la efectividad de los features de nuestro lead scoring system, looking at the coefficients and their relative strength to predict that a qualified lead will turn into an opportunity. Long story short, after making recommendations for changes to the lead scoring system, we were able to increase our MQL to SQL conversion by 8 percentage points!
Thank you! I’ve never been to Villena, but I think it’s where Juan Carlos Ferrer is from and Carlos Alcaraz trains in his tennis academy there, I’m a big tennis fan. Why did you move out of Alicante?
Hey, thanks for sharing that; I wasn't aware of the tennis academy there.
But it all makes sense now:
When I first moved there, I ended up getting into a bit of an overly boastful conversation with one of the locals (and eventually great friend) regarding my (non-existent) prowess on the tennis court (enjoying the local wines was a favorite pastime there - Jeje). Well, that was that and *challenge accepted*. We met the following weekend evening, and I swear, half the town turned out.
Oof - this is gonnna be bad.
Before things got underway, we were joking around on the court, just playfully exchanging casually comedic insults and having a leisurely back-and-forth with the ball. I returned one of his lobs as he was jogging to the rear of the court, and - without even turning around or looking - he swung the racket between his legs for a perfect return shot.
At this point, I should have just announced to the crowd to please cover the eyes of all small children in attendance - a blood bath is about to ensue.
It was actually the best way to introduce myself to my new adoptive hometown. Everybody has such warmth and a great sense of humor. And the local talent there is out of control.
But I didn't move there from Alicante, I had been living in San Francisco and had a roommate from Villena, Manolo Soler. I went just for a visit and ended up staying there for 2 of the best years of my life!
I never miss any of your posts - they're really the best. I have a few other friends working at IBM, and the work you guys are doing is just phenomenal.
This is a beautiful reflection that I wish was a more common experience.
Of all the 4th of July I've experienced maybe only 5 or 6 were outside the US and I never really questioned my nationality until this year. I am less and less proud to be American and more and more aware of how good I've had it up to this point.
It's really lovely to hear the perspective of someone who is still seeing and contributing to the best of what America can be.
My parents and I came to the US from Ukraine as refugees in the late '80s. I was too young to understand what was happening, but have never lost my admiration for people who pack up their things and move halfway around the world in search of a better life.
It’s not easy to always be intentional, often I just do things without much thought... I try to avoid stupid mistakes at least! The naturalization was an exception, though it was a very, very long process with a lot of reflection and consultation.
Being a 3rd generation immigrant myself I love your story. My Grandparents didn't want my mother or her siblings speaking Italian as we were to become Americans but I wish that was part of my heritage. I love you have continued all your family languages. My Grandmother arrived from Italy at 3 years old through Ellis Island New York, we have a plaque with her name to commemorate her arrival on the island. I am glad that's not a place or a process used today. Happy 4th of July and glad to see you became a US Citizen. Enjoy your American dream, it is whatever you make of it and has no limits!
Thank you for sharing. Honoring your grandmother at Ellis Island is powerful. We've been thinking of adding a plaque to a bench at our neighborhood playground, where we spend so much time with the kids. I hope you had a happy 4th!
Me siento muy indentificado con tu experiencia y forma de ver la vida. Me vine a USA en 2010 con un intercambio y aquí sigo ya con mi propia familia americana y trabajando en semiconductores. Conseguí la ciudadanía hace unas semanas y te hace pensar mucho. Felicidades.
Un saludo,
Pablo
Felicidades por la ciudadanía, Pablo! Que sigan los éxitos y a darle con todo a los semi.
Felicidades por la ciudadania a ti tambien! es un gran paso.
Welcome to the American Family, Armand! I love your story! You are a true inspiration of coming to America with your priorities in the right place! You did not take it lightly. You should never forget your European heritage, and no one should ever expect you to! Embracing your adoptive nation and people is special, and I embrace you as a fellow citizen! Thank you for coming to America and making a difference!
Thank you so much. We're proud to embrace this new chapter!
Armand!!, reading your story just reminded me — it was always kinda obvious you’d end up where you are now. Proof that dreams don’t just happen, you gotta work for them.
What I remember from school is you being super focused, disciplined, and not really caring about what everyone else was doing. You had a goal and went for it.
Big congrats, Armand. Glad we crossed paths. I still remember getting in trouble for being a rebel and getting sat next to you — ended up learning more math than ever! hahaha.
Big hug,
PD: Sorry About my english haha i think its good. XD
Alejo! Tengo buenos recuerdos de esos tiempos en los Sales jeje Yo también me acuerdo de esa vez que te sentaron a mi lado 😂 y si, hiciste que las clases de mates fueran mucho más entretenidas.
A ver si nos vemos un dia o hacemos un reunion de todos!
Y tu inglés está perfecto. Un abrazo grande.
Que lindura estos comentarios, que lindo rememorar y además poder ver y alegrarnos por los frutos de los demás.
As someone who made a move in the opposite direction (NYC to Munich - 6.5 years here now), really interesting read/reflection! I was born in the U.S., but my parents immigrated to the U.S. from China for work in the 90s - my dad works in the semiconductor industry (actually both my parents worked for IBM at one point!) and I still remember helping them study for their citizenship tests when I was a kid, congrats on yours!! The first conversation I ever had with my then-friend, now-partner was about the “sky’s-the-limit” idea that you mentioned - and was a big realization for me that something I had assumed just everyone believed was actually quite American? That me growing up with the idea that I could be anything that I wanted when I grew up if I just worked hard enough and believed in myself and that was “success”, was very different then the culture he, and everyone else he knew grew up with (he’s half French, half German) - which was more about being happy and not being pushed/driven as much (I think there’s probably a good middle here to be found). And sometimes he wondered what his life would’ve looked like if he had that push (which I resented so much from my own parents - the ultimate believers in the American Dream to this day - as a teenager) (his parents are wonderful and he’s also super happy and fulfilled in his life / career, he’s just a reflective person 😂).
This was a massive run on set of sentences and I think I could write my own essay on this so I’ll just stop here - but thanks again for this thoughtful reflection!!
Much of what you said resonated. That mix of ambition and contentment is something I think about a lot too. What a journey, thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing your journey, Armand.
My international adventure began when work first took me from India to Taiwan. That move marked the beginning of a transformative journey—one that would span continents and shape the course of my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
From Taiwan, I moved to Venezuela, where I met my then-girlfriend, who would later become my partner in both life and adventure. Together, we spent a few years in Colombia before eventually making our way to the United States.
While in South America, I had started a consulting company. It grew to four consultants and became profitable, something I am still proud of. But the promise and potential of the U.S. led me to make a bold decision—I partnered with a boutique American firm and brought all the consultants to the U.S. through H1B visas. Back in the early 2000s, the path to entrepreneurship for immigrants was not as accessible as it is today. The journey was filled with challenges, and despite my early success, I eventually had to close down my company to focus on securing permanent residency for my wife and myself.
Those early years in the U.S. were tough, filled with uncertainty and sacrifice. But we stayed focused, and after much deliberation, we decided to pursue U.S. citizenship. For me, it meant giving up my Indian citizenship, as India does not allow dual nationality. That was not an easy decision—India is where my roots lie—but it was a necessary step toward building a future for our growing family.
Our first daughter was born in 2015, a life-changing moment that made the decision to become U.S. citizens in 2016 even more compelling. From that point on, there was no looking back. We had our second daughter in 2018. We’ve worked hard to create a stable, fulfilling life for our two daughters. While they celebrate and cherish our Indian and Latin American heritage, I see them first as Americans.
To me, the United States remains the most meritocratic nation in the world. Despite the criticisms it gets, our nation continues to offer opportunities to those who work hard and persevere. You can feel it in the air—stories of struggle turning into success, of dreams turning into reality.
Do I miss India? Absolutely. I carry my roots with pride. But today, I see myself first as an American, and then as an Indian American. This country gave me the platform to dream big and the freedom to pursue those dreams—and I believe it will continue to do the same for future generations, including my daughters.
Happy 4th of July, y'all.
Grateful to be walking a similar path. I hope you had a happy 4th to you as well!
Beautifully written. I had a similar journey—moving from India to the Middle East for work, and eventually settling in Canada as a permanent resident before becoming a citizen a few years ago. I’ve often found myself caught between worlds—sometimes feeling like I don’t fully belong anywhere, and other times feeling deeply connected to both places. At the end of the day, what matters most to me is living in a place where I feel my children can grow up safely and where I’ve found opportunities that make me excited to work and grow.
Me encantó leer tu historia… yo soy venezolano y me hice ciudadano americano este año, después de mucho esfuerzo logré conseguir un trabajo en analytics & machine learning, siento que por fin he alcanzado una posición donde tengo recursos, la flexibilidad y el tiempo para disfrutarlos/viajar y seguir explorando el mundo y visitando amistades. Tuve la dicha de viajar a España por primera vez este año, quedarme en casa de mi mejor amigo de la universidad en Madrid, viajar con él a Barcelona, ir a ver a una de nuestras bandas favoritas, visitar más amigos y familia en Valencia, y luego conocer Atenas y Mykonos con mi esposo y unos amigos de acá de Brooklyn… y wow, estuvo tan lindo recordar que hay muchas otras formas de vivir y ser feliz, pero me siento muy agradecido de tener la oportunidad de luchar por mis sueños y anhelos en NY, pero se siente genial saber que ahora tengo muchas menos ataduras y que el mundo es mi ostra. Un abrazo para ti y tu familia Armand, gracias por compartir tu experiencia tan humana y enriquecedora!
Felicidades por la ciudadania a ti tambien, tengo curiosidad donde trabajas en ML?
Para nosotros tambien, el mundo entero es nuestro hogar :)
Gracias Armand! Trabajo en una fintech company. Yo pertenezco al equipo de Data Analytics (not Data Science), entonces no he tenido que construir modelos para usar en producción, pero un ejemplo de una aplicación de ML fue desarrollar un logistic regression model para evaluar la efectividad de los features de nuestro lead scoring system, looking at the coefficients and their relative strength to predict that a qualified lead will turn into an opportunity. Long story short, after making recommendations for changes to the lead scoring system, we were able to increase our MQL to SQL conversion by 8 percentage points!
Beautifully written. Congrats & happy 4th!
Wonderful and inspiring story - I truly loved it. A reflection of your spirit, for sure.
Coincidentally, I used to live in Spain myself (Villena, Alicante). Loved it there and made lifelong friends. Such a beautiful culture as well.
Thanks for sharing and happy Fourth!
Thank you! I’ve never been to Villena, but I think it’s where Juan Carlos Ferrer is from and Carlos Alcaraz trains in his tennis academy there, I’m a big tennis fan. Why did you move out of Alicante?
Hey, thanks for sharing that; I wasn't aware of the tennis academy there.
But it all makes sense now:
When I first moved there, I ended up getting into a bit of an overly boastful conversation with one of the locals (and eventually great friend) regarding my (non-existent) prowess on the tennis court (enjoying the local wines was a favorite pastime there - Jeje). Well, that was that and *challenge accepted*. We met the following weekend evening, and I swear, half the town turned out.
Oof - this is gonnna be bad.
Before things got underway, we were joking around on the court, just playfully exchanging casually comedic insults and having a leisurely back-and-forth with the ball. I returned one of his lobs as he was jogging to the rear of the court, and - without even turning around or looking - he swung the racket between his legs for a perfect return shot.
At this point, I should have just announced to the crowd to please cover the eyes of all small children in attendance - a blood bath is about to ensue.
It was actually the best way to introduce myself to my new adoptive hometown. Everybody has such warmth and a great sense of humor. And the local talent there is out of control.
But I didn't move there from Alicante, I had been living in San Francisco and had a roommate from Villena, Manolo Soler. I went just for a visit and ended up staying there for 2 of the best years of my life!
I never miss any of your posts - they're really the best. I have a few other friends working at IBM, and the work you guys are doing is just phenomenal.
¡Qué tengas un lindo día!
This is a beautiful reflection that I wish was a more common experience.
Of all the 4th of July I've experienced maybe only 5 or 6 were outside the US and I never really questioned my nationality until this year. I am less and less proud to be American and more and more aware of how good I've had it up to this point.
It's really lovely to hear the perspective of someone who is still seeing and contributing to the best of what America can be.
It’s true, being “American” can feel more complex these days. My trick is...I don't watch the news :)
I still believe in the version of this country that’s built by people.
My parents and I came to the US from Ukraine as refugees in the late '80s. I was too young to understand what was happening, but have never lost my admiration for people who pack up their things and move halfway around the world in search of a better life.
We have many Ukrainian friends here in the Bay Area :) Always sharp, thoughtful, and know how to throw a good party!
Now... back to work buddy! 😅
Congrats and Happy 4th of July.!
You're right on point, Armand. You need to be intentional if you want the results you're aiming for with your life.
It’s not easy to always be intentional, often I just do things without much thought... I try to avoid stupid mistakes at least! The naturalization was an exception, though it was a very, very long process with a lot of reflection and consultation.