Family Culture

 Family Culture

This week I was reading and learning about the culture of families. All families have a different culture, and it affects how the family is run and how they interact. I had never really thought about how much our culture can affect each member of the family and the relationships that the members of the family have with each other. Our family culture is a representation of where family are is and where they came from. We learn from the people around us and where are family are at. In my opinion the family culture is always changing and adapting to the constant changed in our lives. 

There was a story that we read and talked about that really influenced me and my respect for the people that leave their countries to try and find better opportunities. There was a story of a family from Mexico, the family consisted of a mother, father, a teenage daughter, and a teenage son. The father had a good job in Mexico and the mother stayed at home with the kids. They decided that they wanted to go to the United States for a better educational opportunity for their children. The father went to the United Stated first and then the family was supposed to come over after about 6 months. The journey for the father was not easy and was very dangerous but he made it to the United States. He could not find a job like the one he had in Mexico, so he got a low-income job because that it what was available for him. He lived in a house with many other immigrants for and unreasonable price. He sent what money he had back to his family so one day they could make the trip as well. It was another three years before the family was able to come to the United States. Within those three years a lot had changed with the family dynamic, and it was going to be a hard adjustment for them. While the family was still in Mexico the mother had to find what work she could to be able to support her family. The son had to now step into the role of the man of the house. The daughter began to spend a lot more time at her aunt and uncle’s home. When they finally made it to the United States they could just go back to the way things were before their father left. The culture and dynamics of their family would never be the same as it was before. 

The family was back together but the situations they were in and the change in family dynamics changed the culture of their family. They brought a lot of the culture form back in Mexico, but it was now mixed with the American culture. I cannot even imagine how hard it was for the family and all the things that they went through to try and have more opportunities. Where we live, where we come from, what we do, and the people we are around may have a large impact on the culture of our family.