-
“Can a South Asian Woman Be Soft and Strong at the Same Time?”
For generations, South Asian women have been told they must choose between being soft or strong. In many cultures, femininity is linked to softness, and strength is often viewed as a masculine quality. We are conditioned to believe that being emotional or vulnerable means being weak, while strength is equated with stoicism, silence, and sacrifice. But what if we don’t have to choose? What if being both soft and strong isn’t just possible—it’s essential? The Dichotomy of Strength and Softness in South Asian Culture In South Asian families, women are often expected to be pillars of strength, handling everything from family dynamics to cultural pressures with grace. But at the…
-
“Balancing Act: Being Emotionally Honest While Meeting Cultural Obligations”
Picture Credits: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/bb/27/c5/bb27c5468c3aa2de2b4afaf2eb002fd5.jpg For many South Asian women, life often feels like walking a tightrope — arms outstretched, carefully measuring each step, balancing the weight of two seemingly opposing forces: being true to yourself and being who your family and culture expect you to be. You want to speak up — but you don’t want to be disrespectful.You want to rest — but there are chores waiting.You want to say no — but the guilt is louder than your boundaries. This is the reality of the emotional balancing act — where honoring your truth often means negotiating with the values that raised you. Cultural Obligations: The Unseen Load In South…
-
“Emotional Labor Behind the Smile: South Asian Women and the Burden of Being ‘Resilient'”
She’s so strong.”“She always keeps it together.”“I don’t know how she does it all.” Phrases like these are often said with admiration — and they are meant to be compliments. But for many South Asian women, they can feel like shackles dressed as praise. Because behind that carefully managed strength, there’s often an invisible truth: exhaustion, emotional labor, and the quiet pressure to always show up — even when falling apart inside. In our culture, resilience is expected. But what happens when resilience isn’t empowering — it’s demanded? The Culture of Carrying It All From a young age, South Asian girls are trained to be caretakers. They’re taught to serve…
Daughters of Strength, Bosses by Choice