Familismo

A quality that has come to characterize Hispanics/Latinos across the hemisphere is the notion of familismo (familism), defined as a strong orientation and commitment toward the family. Familismo is also connected to a high value on marriage, childbearing, and responsibility toward siblings. Family duties, loyalty, and interconnection to family members in both nuclear and extended families are also qualities that accompany the notion of familismo. The ideology of familism extends beyond blood kin to include extended families of several generations and godparents (compadres), another important cultural practice found among Latino families. Interviews conducted by the National Research Council offer some evidence as to how familismois defined by immigrants and their children. A Mexican immigrant in Raleigh, North Carolina observes “that sometimes families here, White families, are not as united as Hispanics families… We’re always famous for having aunts and uncles and relatives.…” In...