Of course we’re protective of ourselves. No one wants to feel shame, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid responsibility either. Look, there are a hundred other responses he could’ve had when she was alive. For instance, since she chose to remain WORKING for his family, he could’ve paid her more. He could also have starting calculating the payback on the years she worked without compensation. He could’ve contacted her family a lot sooner to suggest amends. My point is that just because he did more than the rest of his family doesn’t mean he did enough. We ALL need to pay attention to the miserable labor laws and practices that make slaves invisible to us because they look so much like the terribly under-compensated immigrants we see providing us cheap goods and serves every day. And how would Tizon have known that there were more possibilities for action? By asking and discussing with others, by being willing to sacrifice. This is no example of damage done by previous generations. Sure, he inherited a heavier burden than most of us, but saying “you’re free” to someone who’s had no opportunity to earn money and operate in the world outside of captivity is no kind of freedom. She needed MONEY and allies, and time and support to transition to something else. Handing her ashes back to her relatives did not absolve him of wrong-doing.