In the United States, the nuclear family, mother, father, children, is by far the most important unit of kinship.
In Latin America, the nuclear family is one part of a vast extended family of grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, who live close together and help each other out.
Moving to the United States breaks up these family networks, but Hispanic Americans try to keep up the links as best they can. They send money back to the old country to support family members, sponsor relatives to come join them, and visit the old country frequently.
As a sign of the Hispanic belief in family, Hispanic households in the United States are more likely than non-Hispanic ones to be made up of two parents raising minor children.
The proportion is 37 percent for Hispanic households versus 25 percent for non-Hispanic ones.
