In “Pain + Love = Growth: The Labor of Pinayist Pedagogical Praxis,” the author mentions the theme of silence; she has noticed that there is silence in her family, but also in scholars. The silence that she discusses is the one that comes from pain and resilience. It is the silence that comes from not talking about your feelings because you are “too prideful to be vulnerable.” Many first-generation or second-generation people with immigrant parents can relate to this because there may be a past that isn’t addressed, along with thoughts of suffering that is ignored. In the chapter, Nievera-Lozano explains how everyone is preoccupied whether it is with work or school, going through life like a “hamster wheel.” I feel like this is common in Asian American culture. In my personal experience, throughout high school and part of college, I was focused on my studies and don’t really recall having deep conversations with my parents. I never talked about the things that stressed me out or the fact that my classes during my sophomore year came with anxiety that brought me to a dark and scary place. My parents rarely talked about the struggles they went through, immigrating to America and setting up a new life. There was a part of me that was also afraid of “hiya (shame)” (Valverde & Dariotis 332). However, a few months after I felt like I was ready to talk to my mom about my mental health. By doing that, I checked in with myself and affirmed that my feelings were valid and I shouldn't feel shame for my emotions and thoughts.
Valverde, K.-L. C., & Dariotis, W. M. (2019). Fight the tower: Asian American women scholars
resistance and renewal in the academy. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
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