Balancing two worlds
High: Second semester began! Low: Second semester began… Being the eldest daughter of an immigrant family definitely comes with its own set of expectations. Growing up, I was the one who had to translate for my parents, help them navigate things like school meetings or doctors’ appointments, and just generally be the bridge between their world and mine. This gave me the nickname of “the password child,” because remembering my entire family’s passwords was also my job of course. It’s like you’re expected to be both a kid and an adult at the same time, which is obviously overwhelming. My role was mainly just to balance the weight of my parents’ sacrifices with my own ambitions. I kinda grew to detest it since I didn’t really ask for this role, it was just given to me. At the same time, though, I don’t feel like I can’t just ignore the pressure. It’s like there’s this invisible responsibility to succeed—not just for myself, but for my parents and my younger brother. Over time, I’ve ...