Some immigrant children have a hard time explaining teen life to parents who grew up in unstable countries. YR Media’s Mela Seyoum tells us how she learned to connect with her mom.
When my parents were teenagers, they fled from a war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. In their 20s, they settled down in California. My parents and I have a generation gap and a cultural gap. On top of that, they survived a violent, historic event that robbed them of their adolescence.
My mom often tells stories about her childhood in Eritrea in relation to mine. When I was 14, I was anxious about entering high school. When she was 14, she was doing chores for her five-person family. When I was 16, I was worried about midterms and when I could see friends. When she was 16, she was crossing a desert to save her life.
Recently, I forgot to do the dishes. When my mom saw a pile of dirty plates in the sink, she scolded me. She said that at 18, she was working as a maid in Italy and taking care of her brothers, while also learning Italian. If she could handle that, then I should at least do the dishes. I felt inadequate saying that I forgot because I had debate practice and homework.
At times, I feel like I’m disappointing my mom by not living up to the standards she set.