social classes

the week we discussed social classes and families we read an article about the effects of immigration on Mexican families that come to the united states. one thing that occurs is that the father leaves the family to come to America to work. the separation creates changes in the way the family functions. often times it is a few years before the family can join the father in the united states. as a result the longevity of separation has a dramatic impact upon his relationship with everyone in the family. it takes awhile to resume his position as head of the household. he may not feel a part of his family anymore. children of these families may get into trouble as a result of the cultural changes and miss their extended family that they left behind. this is important to understand since frequently immigrant families are viewed as bad in America and are frequently criticized. when someone understands why some of this group, namely the youth, do bad things it is often an emotional response to dramatic and difficult situations.