Having immigrant parents teaches you a lot of things you might not otherwise know at an early age. Sometimes it’s cultural, and sometimes it’s as a result of trying to maintain a balance of two cultures. In response to this phenomenon, the children of immigrants have developed this separate quasi-culture of colorful, and, at times, quirky shared experiences.

1. Wearing shoes inside is unsanitary and borderline sinful.

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Leave your shoes (and the dirt) by the door. Or else.

2. Sleepovers will give them a heart attack.

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The way my dad sees it, why sleep on someone’s floor when you have a perfectly good bed at home? Immigrant parents 9/10 times don't understand sleepovers, or why you want to have them. Usually they just flat out won't let you go, but on the rare occasions that they say yes, it is abundantly clear that a major factor in saying no is because it's a culture feature that they just don't understand.

3. Cooking is incredibly important.

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All those years watching your parents de-bone chickens and making marinades really pays off. Trying to balance cultures is difficult, and learning to cook traditional foods is one of the easiest ways to stay connected to your roots. And boy, is it delicious.

4. Don’t be wasteful

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“Eat every grain of rice on your plate.” Or else.

5. Miscommunication happens constantly. When it happens, you have to know how to defuse the bomb.

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No, Mom. That’s seriously not what I meant. Please.

6. You’ll always be too American.

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At school, you’re too different, but at home you’re way too assimilated. “What do you mean you want McDonald’s for dinner?” Your classmates think you are too weird for bringing packed lunches, and your parents think you are too American for wanting anything else.

7. Respect is everything.

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If you refuse your mom’s food (or anyone else’s) they’re going to assume you hated it. You can’t just refuse food. It’s disrespectful.

8. Western medication is weird.

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Why do you need Advil when there’s Tiger Balm? Seriously, try it.

9. Ovens are great for storage. In fact, everything is great for storage.

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No one really understands why we do this, but let’s be real, it’s so convenient.

10. Being frugal is nothing to be ashamed of.

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When you’re at a buffet, you better fill up on the expensive stuff. And coupon clipping is just smart. Learning how to be frugal really comes in handy in college and beyond. Thank your parents for teaching you the tricks early on.

11. How to make important phone calls from a young age.

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English is difficult, and having a kid that speaks it fluently makes life a little easier. Most likely, you’ve been making calls to the phone company since you could ride a bike. Bonus points if you’ve had to call as your parent.

12. Do well so they can brag about you.

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It’s annoying, but it makes them happy.

13. Don’t take them (or anything, really) for granted.

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Your parents went through everything, so they’ll always have the best stories. They gave everything up to come here so your struggle would never compare. Life seems like it’d be easier sometimes if your parents weren’t immigrants, but you wouldn’t be who you are without them and that part of your identity.