Understanding My Parents’ Sacrifices and Reconnecting with My Roots

Photo credit: @canvacreativestudio

The Immigrant Journey

"They gave me the chance at a better future, and now I have to make it a reality." – Susan Chemmanoor

My parents are immigrants. They moved to Australia with hopes of building a better life—not just for themselves, but for us too. As a child, I had no idea how hard they worked or how many sacrifices they made. I only knew that the world we lived in felt completely different from the one they had left. Dad worked full-time, while Mum stayed at home until my little sister started school.

They wanted the best for us. But what did it really cost?

Language Barriers: Losing Touch with My Culture

We barely spoke our home languages growing up in Australia, we mostly used English. My parents felt it was that way, so we could "fit in" and "succeed." Many of my relatives shared the same belief. But, as with any big decision, there are sacrifices.

Photo credit: @canvacreativestudio

I lost touch with parts of my heritage, my culture, and most significantly, my ability to communicate with family—including my grandparents. I had no idea how much language played a role in my connection with culture. I thought it was just something I spoke at home, a way of communicating with my family. 

But as I got older, I slowly started losing the words, struggling to express myself. It became harder to communicate with relatives, and I felt like I was drifting further from my heritage.

I don’t blame my parents for their decision. They were doing what they thought was best. Adapting to a new life meant adjusting in ways that were often hard to see at the time. However, I started feeling a massive disconnect between the world outside and the one we lived in at home.

I carried this silent guilt—like I had let go of something precious. But over time, I realised that reconnecting isn’t about fluency or perfection. It’s about making the effort, embracing those parts of our identity that make us who we are, and finding new ways to keep our culture alive.

Understanding My Family and Myself

As I shared in my first blog post, losing my home language and drifting apart from my roots made it more difficult to fully understand my parents' experiences. I was caught between two identities—one shaped by my heritage and one by the country that I called home.

But as I immersed myself more deeply in cultural spaces—through language classes, traditional dance, and meaningful conversations with my family—I felt something shift. I began to see the world through their eyes, understanding their struggles, their sacrifices, and the values that shaped them. It clicked for me that culture isn’t just about traditions; it’s the lens through which we view the world.

When that connection is lost, navigating life can feel disjointed, like something is always missing. But the more I embraced my origins, the more at peace I felt. Reconnecting with my heritage wasn’t just about understanding my family—it was about rediscovering a part of myself. (If you haven’t read my first blog post, I dive deeper into my experience there!)

Photo credit: @canvacreativestudio

The Journey Continues

Now, I’m proud of where I come from—and I’m not afraid to show it. Embracing my Cambodian Chinese roots has brought me peace, confidence, and a clearer sense of where I belong in the world.

But here’s the thing: My journey is far from over. I’m still learning, still reconnecting, still growing. Some days, I'm confident in my identity; other days, I still feel unsure. It’s a constant work in progress, and I’ve learned to be okay with that.

As a mentioned, there are still moments when I feel like an outsider in my own culture, moments when I wonder if I’m doing "enough" to stay connected. But I’ve come to understand that asserting my identity isn’t a matter of meeting some impossible standard of perfection—it’s a matter of trying and honouring my roots in ways that feel right to me.

The journey to self-acceptance and cultural reconnection isn’t linear. There will always be questions, challenges, and moments of doubt. Identity isn’t something we need to have completely figured out. It’s something we shape, redefine, and embrace over time.

Reflections: What’s Your Story?

I want to leave you with something to think about:

Have you ever struggled with language barriers or feeling disconnected from your culture?