I am an Asian American of Vietnamese descent autistic woman who was diagnosed later in life—after becoming a developmental scientist and a mother to autistic children. Growing up in a low-income refugee family in southern California and then in Louisiana, mental health and disabilities were topics we didn’t talk about because it is highly stigmatized. Like many second-generation AAPI children, I was raised with an emphasis on filial piety, acculturation, and assimilation. I masked my struggles and internalized stress, which was often misinterpreted as shyness or perfectionism. It wasn’t until I became a parent to children whose neurodivergence presented more externally—and began researching autism, stress, and mental health—that I truly recognized my own identity. My cultural background and upbringing taught me resilience, but it also delayed access to understanding and accepting my neurodivergence. Now, I work to bridge that gap for others in our community.