Growing up in America with a filipino family is very different from growing up in Europe with a German family. It's very different in the sense that you have to follow your family's rules and follow your own path in life. Growing up as an American kid, you have a lot of freedom and independence, but you also have to live according to the rules of your parents' culture. This is why it's so hard for you to be independent and not be stuck in your own little bubble.