Empowered with Immigrant Parents

Why Feeling Your Feelings is Hard and What to Do About It

Ep 22: Why Feeling Your Feelings is Hard and What to Do About It 2 Quick Ways to Honor Your Feelings and Inner Child Follow Asian Mental Health Project  Website: https://www.asianmentalhealthproject.com/  Instagram: @asianmentalhealthproject Attend their next Honor Your Feelings Fest https://www.eventbrite.com/e/honor-your-feelings-fest-tickets-1984586818598#organizer-card ___ More from Allison Ly  | Free Resources: Free Resource Library: https://www.heyallisonly.com/library  Stop Spiraling in Guilt Cheatsheet For Setting Boundaries:  https://www.heyallisonly.com/cheatsheet  Get my Free Quickstart Guide to Help You Help Your Loved Ones: https://www.heyallisonly.com/resource Get my weekly emails for actionable tips, tools, relatable stories for Adults with Immigrant Parents: https://heyallisonly.com/email  3 Easy Ways to Tackle Your Negative Self Talk: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/start  _________ It can be difficult to honor your feelings in general.  And then on top of that, it’s extra difficult when you may not exactly know what you’re feeling.  And honoring your feelings is so important.  In this episode, I’m reflecting on my experience speaking at Honor Your Feelings Fest with Asian Mental Health Project and sharing why honoring your feelings can feel especially difficult as an adult with immigrant parents.  I talk about why so many of us struggle to identify our emotions, and how constantly focusing on everyone else can disconnect us from ourselves. I also share practical mindset shifts and reflections around emotional awareness, self-talk, motherhood, play, healing, and learning how to create space for yourself.  Episode Timeline: 00:00 Why Honoring Our Feelings Matter 00:41 Honor Your Feelings Fest By Asian Mental Health Project 01:55 Meditation in the Noise 03:48 Fun Healing 05:17 Honor Your Feelings Fest Highlights  06:30 Why Immigrant Kids Struggle 09:25 Ask Yourself This Three Times 13:13 Check in on This 15:40 Try This Show notes and more at: https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/22 Follow and subscribe for more:  ▶️ YouTube: @heyallisonly 📸 Instagram: @heyallisonly 🎵 TikTok: @heyallisonly

The One Word That’s Sabotaging Your Relationships & Self-Talk

Ep 21:  The Word That's Holding You Back (and why)  Free Resources: Stop Spiraling in Guilt Cheatsheet For Setting Boundaries: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/cheatsheet  3 Easy Ways to Tackle Your Negative Self Talk: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/start  Get my Free Quickstart Guide to Help You Help Your Loved Ones: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/resource  Get my weekly emails for actionable tips, tools, relatable stories for Adults with Immigrant Parents: https://heyallisonly.com/email _________ What if the way you are using this word is quietly shaping how you feel in your relationships? This is something that’s been coming up a lot lately and can have a much bigger impact than you might think. This may be especially true for adults with immigrant parents, where communication, guilt, and this feeling of being responsible for others’ and for so much for is already feeling so complicated.  We don’t always realize what we are needing and wanting in the moment.  But paying attention to this word can be so helpful to tapping into that more and also getting our needs met more. Even if it’s happening after the fact. Because when you begin to notice these things, and make these small shifts,  you may also start to shift how you feel, how you show up, and what feels possible in your relationships. Episode Timeline: 00:00 The Word to Be Mindful Of 02:27 Why This Word Matters 03:49 This is Vague  05:49 Being More Direct  08:47 What if You Don’t Know 10:35 Choices 13:49 How Guilt Plays a Role 15:15 Some Phrases to Use Instead Show notes and more at: https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/21 [https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/20] Follow and subscribe for more:  ▶️ YouTube: @heyallisonly 📸 Instagram: @heyallisonly 🎵 TikTok: @heyallisonly

Guilt, Growth, and Joy: 5 Reminders

Ep: 20 Take care of your inner child with these 5 reminders Join my exclusive email community for adults with immigrant parents:  https://heyallisonly.com/email [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDJ4TVdReUdTZFRLM3FRaUl2dFZuZGE0ZDMtQXxBQ3Jtc0trYl85bTkxV1lBWDlza2xwU0FRcGloX0xxNkNqcWIxOVFHcjhON1A1QnVuaWU5eWViVk1QOS16YjRrR2xEc3d4STlaSjFwdHRILWxuRlFVNTVKZU1qRE1iRUJxRXFhaHNFS1VMcjV4N0U3Y0lSbVczUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fheyallisonly.com%2Femail&v=i182DGgAOQ8] As adults with immigrant parents, you’re probably used to having so much responsibility, pressure, and thinking about what you should be doing instead of thinking about you. I share 5 reminders that you may benefit from. Because the truth is… for a lot of us as adults with immigrant parents, childhood wasn’t always simple. There was responsibility. Pressure. Sometimes even roles we took on before we were ready. If you’ve been feeling stuck in responsibility, guilt, or pressure… this is a conversation that might shift something for you. If this resonates, come join my email community for more conversations like this: https://heyallisonly.com/email And if you haven’t already, subscribe to Empowered with Immigrant Parents for more tools, stories, and mindset shifts to help you care for your family without losing yourself. __________ More From Allison Ly -  Free Resources: Stop Spiraling in Guilt Cheatsheet For Setting Boundaries: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/cheatsheet  3 Easy Ways to Tackle Your Negative Self Talk: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/start  Get my Free Quickstart Guide to Help You Help Your Loved Ones: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/resource  Get my weekly emails for actionable tips, tools, relatable stories for Adults with Immigrant Parents: https://heyallisonly.com/email Episode Timeline: 0:00 - The one truth about growing up with immigrant parents no one talks about 0:31 - Why these 5 childhood lessons hit different as an adult 3:00 - Most adults have forget this 6:43 - The one feeling we all avoid 8:10 - How I see failure 10:57 - Why you're being too hard on yourself  13:19 - The lost childhood skill that's holding you back Show notes and more at: https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/20 [https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/20] Follow and subscribe for more:  ▶️ YouTube: @heyallisonly 📸 Instagram: @heyallisonly 🎵 TikTok: @heyallisonly

The Immigrant Stories That Shape You (Even If No One Told Them) featuring Jaime Jo Hoang, Author

Ep 19: The Immigrant Stories That Shape You (Even If No One Told Them) Featured Guest: Jamie Jo Hoang, Author www.heyjamie.com Instagram: @heyjamiereads Like this conversation?  Join my exclusive email community for adults with immigrant parents:  https://heyallisonly.com/email What if you could get some closure, some healing from your parent’s past? Even if they don’t tell you?  That’s what reading Jaime Jo Hoang’s books (My Mother the Mermaid Chaser and My Father the Panda Killer) did for me. Author Jamie Jo Hoang joins me for a thoughtful conversation about identity, family, generational trauma, boundaries, and what it can look like to approach our parents and ourselves with more compassion.  This conversation touches on the unspoken parts of growing up in an immigrant family, why some stories feel hard to face, and how we can start to create a different type of understanding and relationship.  We talk about: - Growing up with family histories that were never fully explained - Why stories can become powerful conversation starters across generations - The complexity of boundaries in immigrant families - What it means to hold compassion without dismissing your own experience - Identity, healing, sibling relationships, and generational patterns - Jamie’s books My Father, the Panda Killer and My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser About Jaime: Jamie Jo Hoang is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She grew up in Orange County, CA—not the rich part. She is the author of MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER, MY FATHER, THE PANDA KILLER and BLUE SUN, YELLOW SKY. Her work has also appeared in TIME, SALON and TinyBuddha. More From Allison Ly -  Free Resources: Stop Spiraling in Guilt Cheatsheet For Setting Boundaries: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/cheatsheet  3 Easy Ways to Tackle Your Negative Self Talk: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/start  Get my Free Quickstart Guide to Help You Help Your Loved Ones: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/resource  Get my weekly emails for actionable tips, tools, relatable stories for Adults with Immigrant Parents: https://heyallisonly.com/email Episode Timeline: 0:28 – Meet Jaime Jo Hoang, Author 1:00 - Writing About Immigrant Family Trauma 4:30 - What Her Parents Did When They Found Out She Wrote a Book 14:50 - How to Set Boundaries With Immigrant Parents Without Guilt 18:50 - Breaking Generational Trauma: Every Generation Has Its Task 25:36 - A Question About Immigrant Guilt 40:33 - Unspoken Topics Around War 44:26 - Why Self-Compassion Is Harder 48:15 - Which Book to Read First: Mermaid Chaser vs Panda Killer Podcast Episode Mentioned: InfatuAsian Podcast  Ep 194 Author Jamie Jo Hoang on Writing the Stories Our Vietnamese Parents Never Tell  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6FiSUH5IdtxTIagcm44HCE?si=b6b3df3479b246a6 Show notes and more at: https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/19 Follow and subscribe for more:  ▶️ YouTube: @heyallisonly 📸 Instagram: @heyallisonly 🎵 TikTok: @heyallisonly

Raising Bilingual Kids Without Pressure and Guilt as a Second-Generation Parent, with Sophie Tran from Mommy and Me Vietnamese

Adults with immigrant parents and millennial parents raising bilingual kids: Vietnamese language learning, heritage culture, boundary setting, and emotional regulation without forcing it or losing yourself. Featured Guest: Sophie Tran, Founder of Mommy & Me Vietnamese Mommy and Me Vietnamese:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheHeTreTV  Instagram: @mommyandmevietnamese Ep 18: Millennial Parents: Raising Bilingual Kids Without Pressure Featuring Sophie Tran, Founder of Mommy & Me Vietnamese 📌 Join my Free Training: Discover the secret to feeling more emotionally secure when spending time with your immigrant parents without people pleasing & spiraling in guilt ➡️ https://heyallisonly.com/secret What if learning Vietnamese (or any heritage language) didn’t have to come with pressure, guilt, or feeling like you’re failing your kid? In this episode of Empowered with Immigrant Parents, I’m joined by Sophie Tran, founder of Mommy and Me Vietnamese (and yes, the songs will get stuck in your head in a good way). We talk about the emotional layers underneath “passing down culture” for millennial parents and adults with immigrant parents. Because it’s not just language. It’s identity, belonging, healing, and the very real reality of motherhood, time, and unrealistic expectations. In this conversation, we get into: - How to teach Vietnamese in a way that feels fun, gentle, and consistent - What happens when culture is tied to shame, criticism, or survival mode - Why many of us grew up with only “happy” and “sad” (and how that impacts emotional health) - Boundaries in immigrant families, family roles, and staying connected without abandoning yourself -How we can separate our identity from how our children do More From Allison Ly -  Free Resources: Stop Spiraling in Guilt Cheatsheet For Setting Boundaries: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/cheatsheet  3 Easy Ways to Tackle Your Negative Self Talk: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/start  Get my Free Quickstart Guide to Help You Help Your Loved Ones: https://heyallisonly.myflodesk.com/resource  Get my weekly emails for actionable tips, tools, relatable stories for Adults with Immigrant Parents: https://heyallisonly.com/email Episode Timeline: 0:00 – Meet Sophie Tran, founder of Mommy and Me Vietnamese 1:38 – Vietnamese language legacy: Thế Hệ Trẻ and bilingual education for second-generation kids 13:00 – Millennial parents reclaiming Vietnamese identity 18:40 – Setting boundaries with immigrant parents without confrontation 26:00 – Teaching emotions in Vietnamese: emotional intelligence in bilingual families 29:00 – Representation matters: Vietnamese dolls, books, and cultural representation 39:00 – Realistic expectations in heritage language learning (why forcing Vietnamese backfires) Links mentioned: Red Episode:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKQ0gryys2E&t=1s Love to Sing Books: https://lovetosingbooks.com  Joey Dolls: https://joeydolls.com/  Show notes and more at: https://heyallisonly.com/podcast/18 Follow and subscribe for more:  ▶️ YouTube: @heyallisonly 📸 Instagram: @heyallisonly 🎵 TikTok: @heyallisonly