Familia

Yep, it's a stereotype but one that has a grain (I mean boulder) of truth to it:  Latinos are generally very family-oriented.  My family is as well, I am the middle child of three (1 older bro, 1 younger sis) and happily my parents are still around and very healthy.  

That said, I come from a classically dysfunctional immigrant family.  My parents immigrated from the Caribbean a few years after marrying, with the intention of spending one year here and then returning to their country.  One year turned into two, my older brother was born and then me, and then my sis and then...the saga continues...

The US has been an extremely rewarding yet simultaneously very difficult place for my family.  This tension is reflected in just about every aspect of our lives, even for those of us who were born in the States.  Being an immigrant kid is a tremendous privilege in many ways, but it also forces you to mature rapidly -- for example, you are at times expected to act like an adult and speak on behalf of parents with heavy accents or limited English in a given situation, or you are obligated to navigate aspects of the US system (public schools, for one) on your own.  And since your right to "belong" in this country is frequently questioned -- sometimes in the smallest, almost imperceptible ways -- you tend to develop an acute sense of self, or at the very least a sharp understanding of what/who you aren't.  

These are just a few everyday examples.  

My intention here is not to complain, but rather to enlighten.  I'm just writing down some random thoughts that floated up to the top of my mind after speaking with my mother.  It's incredible how regression works, isn't it?