My parents immigrated to America from the Philippines in the late 1960's. Based on their stories, I can tell that when they came here, they came to stay and start fresh. But as I grew up, there was this tension I felt of them wanting me to fit into American society, but not lose that which made our family Filipino. I do think they feared that as I made my own choices that didn't match their own, in some ways it was like I was disowning my heritage. I believe that this tension of hope for the future and fear of losing our heritage is one of the defining aspects of being a second generation Asian American.