Family Values

            Mexican families have a close knit family structure, not only with the nuclear family, but with the extended family as well.  Fathers usually have the job of providing for the family, and mothers usually are in charge of taking care of the home and the children (Clutter and Nieto).  Most Hispanic families will do anything for each other, and it is the moral duty of the extended family to help any of its members experiencing financial problems (Clutter and Nieto).  This would make it seem like there would be no need for family members to cross the border, however when the economy becomes so terrible that families cannot take care of themselves, it often seems necessary to send a member across the border.  This member is usually a father figure; however, when there is only one parent in a family, the mothers may be forced to give their child to a relative and cross the border in hopes of making money for their family.  When a mother crosses the border, it is not rare for the mother to have a family member watch their child while they are away.  Mothering across the border can be very difficult and is referred to as transnational motherhood.  No mother wants to cross the border and leave their child behind, but the family support system allows them to know their child is in good hands while the mother is away (Hondagneu-Sotelo and Avila 548). 

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            There is an entire movie devoted to transnational motherhood, called “Under the Same Moon.”  In this movie, a mother leaves her son in the hands of her mother, his grandmother, while she goes to the United States to work as a maid.  This movie demonstrates numerous issues with transnational motherhood such as communication, and issues when the grandmother gets sick and can no longer take care of the child.  I think that it is terrible that this has become such a reality that it has become a source of entertainment for people.  Families are being torn apart to try and support themselves and film producers see a chance to make money off of the terrible reality for many Hispanic families.  If I were the producers of this movie, I would have made it a movie about awareness of the problems of transnational mothers and used the profits from the movie to help these transnational mothers and families to support themselves.   I could only imagine how hard transnational motherhood is on the child and the mother, and I am glad that Hispanic families are close enough to give the support necessary to get through difficult economic times.