Athena, my family was from the south, although we lived in the midwest. They used those same excuses to try to keep us captive and under control. It's not about tradition or cultural; it's about control and a lack of healthy boundaries. You can have physical and emotional space and a life of your own and still love them and care for them. If they fight you on that, that will be your BIG red flag that this ISN'T cultural. If they support you in separating and starting your own life, then you can maybe argue this is just a cultural difference and your T just doesn't get your culture. Until you at least try to live your own life, you'll never know.