My mom and dad are survivors of the Khmer Rouge, something that will be branded on them for the rest of their lives. They made it out of Cambodia and they found themselves here in America, in the land of the free and the home of the brave. They were branded with another name when they arrived in America: immigrants.

When my parents were my age, the path that they walked on was very different than the path that I have to walk on today. Growing up, I knew that my parents had to swim through the strongest currents. They taught me that I can learn how to swim through them too, even if it feels like I’m drowning.

The five most important lessons I have learned from my immigrant parents are:

1.

Hard Work

My parents came to this country with no shoes and not even one penny in their pockets. Over 35 years later, they have successfully built a life for themselves where their two kids have a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. But they didn’t get this far in life because they sat around waiting for success to come to them. They had to work, they had to study, they had to give it their all because they knew that nothing will ever be handed to them. A wonderful life will be rewarded to those who know how to work hard and to those who don’t lose sight of their goals and their dreams.

2. Discrimination

Some people might not like you, not because of your character, but because you have a certain eye shape or a certain shade of skin or because you come from a different background. People can be real nasty about it, to the point where you think you’re at fault and you have done something wrong. But it’s not you. It’ll never be you. What you have to do is just cut those people out of your life. You ignore them. Because why would you want to associate with someone like that anyway? You have to keep your head held high even if people try to push you down.

3. Culture

My parents might have been relocated to a different country from where they were born and raised, but they didn’t let that stop them from keeping their traditions and their values. They were consumed by a different language, different types of food, different types of religion—just to name a few. They never let go of their roots. They didn’t fail to bring me up with their language, to cook me the foods that prospered in Cambodia, and to teach me the faith that they grew up with. They tell me that no matter if I take up their values or find new ones myself, the important thing is to never lose the sight of what matters to me and what is important to me, regardless of what these things are.

4. Gratitude

My parents told me that I won the lottery because I was born in America. They taught me to never take anything for granted. I’m lucky to have access to water and light and lucky that I’m able to have multiple meals a day. I’m fortunate that I have the chance to receive a good education, that I can further myself into a good job and a bright future with this education. My parents tell me to recognize that this is a luxury because they didn’t have life like this back in their country, and many more do not have the opportunity to say that they have all of this today either.

5. Hope

From the minute I was out of the womb, I didn’t have to look far for a story to inspire me throughout my life. My parents are living and breathing proof of hope. They were taken away from their families and forced to work in the middle of a genocide by a dictator. In the midsts of all the chaos and all the violence, most days they didn’t think they were going to live to see tomorrow. But yet, here they are. They never stopped hoping, they never stopped believing that life will get better. So they remind me that no matter how difficult life gets, no matter how much I want to give up, all I need is hope. Hope will guide me to a brighter tomorrow, and I'll have everything I need as long as I have hope.