A Thank You Letter To my Immigrant Parents

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Dear Mom and Dad,

I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for the sacrifices you made.

You came to a new country, learned the language, became entrepreneurs, and assimilated to American culture. You never looked back.

You created a better life for your first-generation children because family is important to you. Thus, you’ve instilled this value in our upbringing.

You worked in areas no one else would work in. You embodied the “American dream” to start from the bottom and flourish. You taught us to appreciate our heritage and experience other people’s cultures.

You kept your optimism when others questioned your value. You experienced racism and didn’t let that stop you. You showed your children to fight for themselves—to be strong.

Thank you.

Thank you for showing us that even though things will get rough, they eventually get better.

Thank you for saying that even when society does not believe in you, you prove them wrong. That when people think you rise to success because of your skin color, you show them you deserve to be there.

You’ve mirrored how persistence, patience, empathy, ambition, vitality, and gratitude are crucial to surviving.

You survived what most citizens of developed countries will never understand, but what we are trying to show them.

You helped us to become advocates, fighters, doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers, healers, lawyers, and artists.

I will never forget in 2017, the defeat in your eyes watching torches and white men of various ages chanting “You will not replace us”. As they were chanting, you were speechless. You were heartbroken that this is the America your children are growing up in.

You were worried about how we would handle it. But what you may not know is that you’ve prepared us to handle all negativity that is thrown at us.

Your children aren’t the ones dressing in white sheets, voting for racist politicians, and selfishly rising to the top.

We are advocating, speaking up, and helping those who need it.

You’ve allowed us the freedom to do so.

You’ve allowed us, first generation children, to share our perspective to the world, and I thank you for that.

Thank you for all you have done and for all you have sacrificed. I am proud to have immigrant parents and I want you two to know that you have taught me a lot.

I will fight for immigrants and minorities in this country to be valued and noticed. I will call out instances of racism and bigotry and educate them in order to progress this society.

You’ve given us the tools, now it’s our turn to spread our experiences to those who don’t understand them.

Love,

Raveena Kay