As an immigrant from Vietnam, my mom doesn't have a credit score and has no intention of getting one. When I wanted to build credit, I looked toward community-oriented resources like public libraries and local churches. Owning land was considered a major asset, and homes built on that land served as collateral on borrowed money. My parents came from large families who supported themselves through agrarian means, so they rarely had any need for borrowed money. We have a greater understanding of how credit scores are calculated and more resources geared toward people who have been previously excluded from credit building.

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