Kimberly Seals Allers, Columnist

Handling Family Requests for Cash During a Tough Year

For people of color, the pressure to financially assist loved ones feels especially heavy right now.

December 17, 2020 at 3:30 PM UTC

Kimberly Seals Allers is a journalist who has covered business and investing at Fortune, the New York Post and Essence. She is the author of five books, including “The Mocha Manual to Turning Your Passion Into Profit” and, most recently, “The Big Letdown.”

We can find ways to lift as we climb.
Photographer: MoMo Productions/Digital Vision/Getty Images

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The holidays are all about expectations. People expect gifts. People expect elaborate meals and gatherings. And many people expect relatives to ask for financial assistance.

This year, this third expectation may fall particularly hard on professionals of color. If you are viewed as the success story in your family, there are often strong cultural assumptions about your ability — and perhaps obligation — to give to friends and relatives.