No Dey Carry Last

If you look at the forehead of any child that is the product of an African, Jamaican, Haitian, Trinidadian, or any immigrant for that matter, you will see a stress line caused from our parents holding us accountable for every dream that has ever been dreamt. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have the father that I have but sometimes I’m like “sir... leave me alone and let me be the girl with no job, an umbrella in my drink and a rich husband ”. The level of expectation from an immigrant parent(s) is and will forever be slightly unattainable. To be honest my father raised me and all my sisters with the mentality that we will be the breadwinners regardless of what our future husbands may make. I think it’s why many women that are raised with immigrant parents are so competitive and refuse to see barriers. Barriers are just poorly dressed opportunities if you ask a tribal parent. They basically set the bar at Jesus’ height and if/ when you reach it they want you to die, come back and do it one more time for good measure. Tell me i'm lying and I'll show you the facts!! On the 4th of July I had a round table discussion with a group of friends. We got on the subject of our upbringings I told them that my dad has NEVER told me to get married and have children. He’s only told me to get as educated as possible and follow through on all my goals. As a matter of fact, he calls frequently to “check in” which is basically a nice way of him making sure that I’m not falling into the category of being average! Lol! Don't get me wrong, the push of an immigrant parent is inspiring but many of us feel stifled because we've never praised ourselves for the accolades and accomplishments we have attained. For me, it's super awkward when people clap for me. I’m literally like.. "Hold up... I ain’t sh$t" lol. I think one of the most relatable things that has even been said on a media outlet is when Jidenna said he bought home a 98% on a test one day and his dad told him that 98 percent was average. He then told him to go back to school to get the other two points. It was the realest thing I had ever heard. I appreciate any and all immigrant parents and I can definitely see why they desire for their children to be above and beyond amazing. In the wake of Trump attempting to "make America great again" by forcing some of the hardest working individuals out, it makes me appreciate having an immigrant parent even more. So here is my cheers to all of the immigrant parents who came here with the clothes on their back and a dream in their hearts! And to all the children that belong to them..you don't have to be a lawyer or doctor BUT you kinda do!! lol