Demystifying boundaries for Latinas
If you’ve ever felt guilty before and after you set a boundary, you’re not alone.
For many bicultural Latinas, boundaries don’t just feel uncomfortable — they feel disloyal.
Many Latino families emphasize closeness and sacrifice. Filial duty, deference and service to our elders are core values that are often expected, especially of first-borns.
When you begin to assert your needs, you also challenge your family’s expectations. Your nervous system may interpret that as a risk.
The roots of anxiety
If you’re like many first-generation Latinas, you grew up learning how to adapt.
You may have:
Translated for your parents
Navigated school systems on your own
Felt pressure to succeed “for the family”
While these experiences built resilience, they also trained your nervous system for vigilance.
Latinas and Anxiety
If you’re a bicultural Latina in New York, you may be used to covering a lot of ground.
You built a career, support your family and navigate two cultures fluently.
And yet, you’re tired in a way that sleep doesn’t fix.
You may feel:
Irritable after family gatherings
Guilty when you say “no”
Anxious even when things are going well
Responsible for everyone else’s stability
This isn’t a personal failure.