To recover from this significant but common challenge faced by second-generation immigrants, you can have an introspective investigation into the roots of your guilt and shame. Your emotions, of course, feel very real, but they have no rational basis. You didn’t cause your parents hardship, you didn’t choose this for your parents, and there wasn’t anything a child who came after them could do to change their fate. Most immigrant parents’ primary goal is to ensure their children’s happiness and success. While a fraction of them may be jealous of your financial success, their best selves truly want you to flourish. Truly, you have been a blessing to your parents.
