I was afraid to ask for things I wanted growing up because I knew the answer would always be “No.” Wants were things you could live without, according to my Nigerian immigrant parents, so you might as well live without them.When I brought this up to my dad recently, he doubled down, eagerly listing the kinds of things he wouldn’twouldn’t have gotten me even if I’d found the courage to ask. Nail polish? Trendy sneakers? Forget about it!