"In many immigrant households, daughters carry a quiet but considerable mental burden. There is no official job description, yet they step in when they are needed, be it to help parents navigate government forms, translate medical advice, or smooth over family tensions. These responsibilities were never assigned in a formal sense, but absorbed gradually, becoming part of their day-to-day routine almost without notice."
"The pull of tradition is strong inside their homes. They are tasked with being the dependable one, keeping the peace, and putting family first. Outside of those walls, a different set of values takes up their thoughts. There is demand for individual ambition, self-expression, and independence from many external sources. The balancing act is never simple. It calls for adaptability, emotional insight, and the ability to navigate two distinct cultural landscapes."
Many immigrant daughters carry a quiet but considerable mental burden, stepping in to help parents navigate government forms, translate medical advice, or smooth family tensions. These responsibilities are absorbed gradually and become part of daily routines without formal assignment. Traditional expectations make daughters the dependable caretakers, household managers, and peacemakers, while external cultural pressures demand individual ambition, self-expression, and independence. Balancing these demands requires adaptability, emotional insight, and bicultural navigation. Acting as cultural bridges, daughters build resilience and practical skills that often go unrecognized. Understanding these layered responsibilities is essential for meaningful institutional support.
Read at Psychology Today
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