Asian-American / Korean-American / Immigration Issues

Therapist in California

There are many challenges that Asian-American immigrants face.

Below are just some of the struggles:

Conflict with family members resulting from a difference in values.

Difficulty aligning to parents’ cultural expectations.

Having a hard time expressing one’s true emotions and thoughts to family members.

Struggling with the burden of familial expectations and setting boundaries.

Feeling like you don’t belong in this country; like you will always be a foreigner (ie. visa issues, undocumented status, employment distress)

Feeling like your worth is predicated on your achievements and performance, often because of strict and demanding upbringing.

These are just some of the struggles Asian-American immigrants face.

Many constantly feel invisible, like they are not valued or wanted in American society.

In conjunction with this, many struggle with their own past traumas, which worsen things, or with intergenerational trauma that continue to be perpetuated.

If any of the struggles outlined above resonate with you, you are not alone.

And the good news is, you don’t have to just accept things as they are; you can improve them, and have more agency and feel more empowered!

You can learn to navigate the complexities of your relationships with your family; begin to feel confidence in expressing your true thoughts and emotions; and start to truly assimilate into your new home, in a way that still honors your unique heritage.