I am not a typical millennial

In response to the New York Times’ portrayal of millennials

The photo illustration by Tracy Ma caught my attention as much as the title itself — The New 30-Something: Have you or haven’t you cut the financial cord with your family? published earlier this week in the New York times. Or perhaps it’s because I’m a millennial myself.

First, let me make a few things clear. I’m a millennial, married with two children. I make a decent salary. I work for a progressive company that’s thriving. I live in one of the best neighborhoods in town. Our place is small, but it’s certainly bigger than the three-bedroom houses that many of my fellow millennials share with six other roommates. My husband and I are both fairly healthy and so is our kids. You may say that I’m pretty lucky, and I’d have to agree.

But reading this article only made me feel angry and underprivileged. The intent, I’m sure, is to ascertain the normalcy in a new cultural shift — parents helping their adult children, but for me, someone who considers herself a typical millennial, the story did more damage to my ego than anything else. There’s so much irony in the people that they featured.

The first irony comes from the immigrant who is quoted saying that his student loans feels like a jail sentence. Later on, it’s mentioned that he makes six figures. Then there’s the woman who lost two years of “normal” salary earning potential but who received money from her parents to buy a home near the beach in San Diego. What’s also a…