The Child Is Not Property

On South Asian family structures, autonomy, and the violence of filial duty

“Just because our children came from us doesn’t mean we get to dictate to them how it is they express their essence.” ― Shefali Tsabary, The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children

In many South Asian households, a child is never simply a child. They are a continuation. A project. An heir. Their birth is not the arrival of an au…