How Latinos are bonding over first-generation trauma
LA TimesLeslie Gonzalez’s path to becoming a doctor was filled with overwhelming pressure, stress and anxiety. Gonzalez, a child of immigrant parents, would tell herself to “pull it together because had to make parents’ sacrifices worth it.” She couldn’t cope with these feelings. For people whose struggles feel similar to Gonzalez’s, The Times asked Southern California trauma therapists and an academic about how to define first-generation trauma, what causes it and how people can heal. In Pezo’s work, clients have said their parents have responded to their emotional distress by saying “te calmas o te calmo” which translates to “calm down or I’ll calm you down.” Or a parent might respond by telling the child “Por que lloras? Pezo and Agueda said that people have the mindset of working hard and not being able complain because that would mean they’re “malagradecido” — ungrateful.
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Commentary: Latinas are breaking generational curses. So why are we seen as malcriadas?
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