A few years ago, I was laid off by my company. I remember feeling so many things, a sense of confusion, loneliness, and overall just uncertain about what came next. I remember calling my mom, and I realized I didn't even know the word for "laid off" in Spanish. Because the reality was that both my parents (both immigrants) had worked jobs no one else wanted, and those jobs didn't lay people off. Those jobs rarely came with layoffs or corporate restructurings. It became anothe

When you're the first in your family to graduate, build a career, and step into professional spaces that your mom and grandma or generations before you couldn't access, it's a proud moment. But we don't talk about how that is also heavy. There's the external success people see, the promotions, the opportunities, the growth. And then there's the quiet, behind the scenes of being the bridge between two worlds: the one you came from and the one you're still learning to fit into.