Betting on Yourself and The Power of Your First-Gen Identity
This week on Entre Tías y Amiguis, we’re talking about what it means to bet on yourself and embrace the power of your first-gen identity, especially when you’ve grown up de aquí y de allá, navigating life between cultures, systems, and expectations.
In this heart-centered conversation, Adri is joined by psychologist and speaker Dr. Lisette Sanchez, founder of First Gen Sin Barreras, to talk about first-gen identity, bicultural strength, and what it really looks like to build something without a blueprint. From the emotional weight of being “the first,” to navigating internalized oppression and finding power in the both/and, Lisette shares what it means to root into your story instead of running from it.
This episode is for the ones who feel like they’re carrying their family’s dreams while still figuring out their own. The ones creating things they’ve never seen before. The ones learning to belong to themselves first.
Together, we talk about:
The pressure and purpose of being “the first” in your family
Reframing first-gen identity as a bridge, not a burden
Entrepreneurship without a safety net or generational wealth
Internalized oppression, imposter feelings, and healing in public
Reclaiming your story and honoring your cultural legacy
What it means to become the kind of ancestor you needed
Lisette reminds us that betting on yourself is a sacred act. That home isn’t something you find—it’s something you build within yourself. And that healing doesn’t mean erasing your story, it means coming back to it with compassion and pride.
This is for everyone living in the in-between. Tune in when you’re ready to remember that your story holds power.
About Dr. Lisette Sanchez
Dr. Lisette Sanchez (she/her/ella), also known as @thefirstgenpsychologist, is a first-generation Latina psychologist, speaker, writer, and founder of First Gen Sin Barreras, a movement that empowers first-gen individuals to embrace their bicultural identity as a strength. Her work centers on healing, visibility, and reclaiming narratives shaped by migration, identity, and systemic barriers.
Follow Dra. Lisette:
