How To Grow Up As A Second-Generation Immigrant?

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Pages: 2

Being a second-generation immigrant may seem like a blessing, but there is plenty of pressure and expectations that come with it. The constant reminder that some people have it worse than me makes it even worse. Growing up as a second-generation immigrant was quite a struggle, for example, how I had to learn a new language and fit into a different culture, while people at my school would ask, “Why does your food look weird.” The obstacle of being different from nearly all of the people I grew up with was a struggle. My parents came from Vietnam and had exceedingly little when coming to America, but they were able to build themselves up and go to college. That already put me to an expectation of being better than them since I had something from the start. Having to …show more content…
The main question after I took the test was, “How did you do?” I knew I was getting in trouble if I did not do well, which kept me going. This would cause me to be exceedingly self-critical and stressed with constantly performing well, especially in sports, academics, and even music. Since my parents wanted me to do my best, they would begin comparing me to my relatives who were way more talented than me, and saying how I should be more like them. At school, there were not many minorities at my school when I was younger, especially Asians, which would be a factor in why I would get picked. It was constantly difficult to perform well for everyone since there were so many expectations on me, who had not even reached high school. The need to be a perfectionist fell completely off once high school began, since I got tired and burnt out from trying for an insignificant reason. My parents still pressured me to take the most difficult classes, but the spark I had in enjoying school was completely gone from all the stress of trying my best. This weakness was difficult to face, but slowly I was able to overcome