What issues do you care about? What problems frustrate you? What motivates you to turn off Netflix (temporarily) and take action? For my friend Jada, it’s the systemic injustice that Black mxn, womxn and children face. For my friend Ashley, it’s the issue of online security and social media. For Malala, it’s access to education for all girls. For me, it’s the existence of multinational corporations that create wealth by exploiting the poor.

We all have something we care about. Civic engagement is taking that passion and translating it into action to improve your community. We can’t expect things to change if we’re not trying to change them. But what does it mean to “get involved” or “make an impact”? The great thing is that civic engagement doesn’t have to look the same for every person and in every situation. There are more direct ways to induce political change like voting, protesting and organizing. And there are more indirect ways to create change like reading historical books to understand important philosophies, events and figures to increase our knowledge or having conversations with friends and family about cultural or socio-political topics. You can choose the activities that are best suited to you and your skills. And by taking action and speaking out, you can create actual change, whether it’s helping your school to change its curriculum or motivating your local government to install public water fountains.

“By taking action and speaking out, you can create actual change, whether it’s helping your school to change its curriculum or motivating your local government to install public water fountains.”

— Misaal Irfan

As a 19-year-old Pakistani American Muslim, one of the issues I care most about is increasing voter registration in my community. Did you know that half of eligible Pakistani American voters did not vote in 2016? To be frank, I was really disappointed when I first read this statistic, but also, in a way, really motivated. I realized that in 2020 I could help change this number. That’s one of the reasons I decided to work at the American Pakistan Foundation as a Get Out the Vote Field Organizer. I was drawn to this position because I want my community and its members to benefit from increased representation and acknowledge that we can directly act against the injustices in our society. In this role, I hoped to learn from professionals in the civic engagement field, create relationships with the Pakistani community across the U.S. and foster a long-term culture of awareness.

Working on the Get Out the Vote team for the past few months, I’ve helped host countless virtual webinars engaging people in conversations about voting, created resources on how to register and vote, amassed signatures on a Pledge to Vote form and created a network across the country of passionate Pakistani American organizers. I’ve learned that there is not just one issue Pakistanis care about; though we all have similar cultural backgrounds, we have unique experiences that influence the issues that take us to the polls. I’ve channeled my frustration with the underrepresentation of Pakistani Americans on both local and national levels into tangible change with every person I help register to vote.

It’s undoubtedly difficult and at times, I have even felt as though I’ve lost track of what I am doing. As a 19-year-old, I am routinely looked upon as naive and overambitious when it comes to my goals and my beliefs. When trying to convince family and friends, it is difficult to not experience frustration when they don’t fully understand why I feel so passionately. But, I promise myself and my team to keep the momentum going. I’m not working towards November 3 (Election Day in the U.S.). Our work is bigger than that. This movement is multigenerational, multicultural and hopefully long lasting. We want every Pakistani to know that no matter their age, their faith, their background, their voice matters and if they voice their opinions by voting, they will be heard and recognized.

Maybe registering voters isn’t your thing. Maybe it’s organizing volunteer groups to tutor refugee families in English, creating a mutual aid fund for students at your school or organizing a peaceful protest! Whatever it is, heartfelt motivation, openness to new ideas and collaboration are necessary. On that same note, make sure that in the midst of this chaotic world you are constantly taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. Because without you and your voice, the world will not be as bright.

Misaal Irfan

is a 19-year-old Pakistani American Muslim student. She is the founder of Millennial Brown, an online community and publication that captures beauty in all cultures and people. You can follow Misaal on Instagram.