Interview with a family - Essay Example

This paper critically, analyzes the functioning of an immigrant Hispanic family based on the findings of a family interview of the Chavez family. According to Seccombe (2012), the functioning of families is often shaped by a number of factors some of which include settings and interactions, ethnicity, cultural values among others. From the onset, one of the sociological issues evident in the family is the cultural conflict particularly between the older members who moved to the United States from Mexico and the younger members of the family who have mostly been born in the United States.

For example, both Mr. Chavez and his wife still prefer to communicate in Spanish, their native language while their American born children regard English as their primary language of communication. In addition, when it comes to their identity, many of older members of Chavez family still prefer to refer to themselves as Mexicans (using their country of origin) while the children regard themselves as Americans. One of the sociological issues facing the Chavez family as revealed in the findings of the interview is cultural shock and awareness within the alien environments.

Basically, the immigrants get shocked about the social structures, language, the expectations and norms associated with their new places of residence. Often times, these cultural patterns contrast the way the immigrants understand themselves. Within the U.S, properly understood relationships and roles could change and an established manner of interaction could be questioned. The implication of this state is twofold. On one hand, immigrants capable of coping with these changes alongside other mental tortures that surround relocation to a strange culture are better placed in terms of their ability to adjust and regulate the broader aspect of their life.

On the other hand, immigrants who fail to cope