It's a strong tradition. Often, people immigrate to an area solely because another family member has already settled there and can provide a home and moral support. It alleviates the loneliness of arriving in a strange land, said Cristina Prado, who followed her brother to Tuscaloosa from Ecuador in 1997 and felt isolated from the community because many people didn't speak her language. A lot of people don't know where Ecuador was or what language I spoke. Having family nearby also helps the younger generation hang onto the culture they left behind.
Some Hispanic children assimilate their adopted culture so well they risk losing their native one.
American marketing destroys them. We don't celebrate Halloween, but the kids love it because they get candy. Even in the Zambrano house, where the TV is nearly always tuned to Spanish-language channels, American culture is evident. On the kitchen table, jars of fresh jalapeno peppers sit next to a box of Oreo cookies. But when a UPS package arrives at the house for Maria from the Sharper Image catalog, Maribel has to smile.