In reading my book about colonial Spain, the early days of Mexico, I came
upon something that explains why we Mexicans like to have all our family not
just living near us, but in our homes, as well. We see families shopping
together, not just mom and dad and the kids, but grandma and grandpa, too.
We visit each others homes and there's aunts and uncles, with chairs lining
the walls so everyone can watch tv together while dinner is cooking. We're
there for family and depend on one another in droves!

Well, this has its roots in Mediterranean European countries, Spain,
Portugal, France, and Italy. I know my husband's French roots well and it's
family, family, family with every baptism, birth, wedding, funeral,
graduation, sports event, you name it. Strong family ties that brings us to
live in the same town together, across the street, down the street, helping
with each other's yardwork, housework, etc. Try to distance yourself from
this, move away and have some privacy, as is the way in modern United States
society, forget it! It's impossible!

The tradition of a head of household or land owner taking in dependents who
lived with them, shared the land, etc. was transplanted to the Americas,
such as in early Mexico. Each conquistador was given land and he brought
over all his family, friends and neighbors from Spain so they could continue
to live in Mexico as they had in Spain, close to one another, working and
living together, sharing in the money earned and the food provided. And
it's still that way. I can see why the ranchos were basically made up of
family groups, this is how they lived.

Corrine