Here’s are some examples of how intergenerational trauma may be showing up in your life:

• Perfectionism and Overachievement: Many AAPI and BIPOC folks may feel an intense pressure to excel academically and professionally, driven by their parents' or grandparents' experiences of financial hardship, inability to pursue their own education, or displacement. This can lead you to experience chronic stress, burnout, or feelings of failure if they are unable to meet these high expectations.

• Fear of Rejection or Shame: AAPI and BIPOC families may place a strong emphasis on maintaining a positive image in the community, to avoid bringing shame or dishonor to the family. Growing up you may have often heard “what will other people think?” This can lead you to hide personal struggles, such as mental health issues, relationship difficulties, or life choices that don't align with traditional norms in order to maintain the “perfect image.” The fear of being judged by both family and community can create anxiety and emotional distress. However, not getting the help you need continues the cycle of thinking that you need to suffer in silence at the expense of maintaining a positive image for others.

• Parenting Styles Rooted in Trauma: Some AAPI and BIPOC parents may have perpetuated cycles of trauma through their critical, strict, or authoritarian parenting styles stemming from in their own experiences of survival, displacement, or adversity. This may have lead you to feel anxious, emotionally distant, fearful of making mistakes, and feeling an inability to voice your own opinion in childhood. These issues may still remain with you today as adults.