La Familia: The Heart Of Mexican Society

Although visitors to 21 st -century Mexico may discover major differences between city and rural life, la familia (lah fah-MEE-lee-a, “the family”) remains at the core of Mexican society.

- Cyndy Hall

All Mexicans believe in the importance of la familia.The father (or oldest living male) reigns as head of the household. Many young girls still expect to spend their entire lives at home caring for husbands, children, and older relatives. Grandparents are revered for their age and wisdom. In both urban and rural areas, three generations often live in one house. Most families share a midday meal, take walks around the neighborhood or local marketplace in the evening, and spend the majority of their time together. Sundays are reserved for church and visiting family.

Family groups in large urban areas such as Mexico City or Monterrey lead lives very similar to those of their North American and European counterparts. Values are fairly open and liberal. Women have many more opportunities in large cities, including advanced education and professional careers. Jobs are easier to find and health care is more readily available.

In contrast, rural life has changed little during the past 100 years. Most people are very poor. Children, parents, and grandparents live crowded together in one- or two-room adobe houses. These small, windowless shelters have no indoor plumbing or electricity. Beds are often straw mats called petates (peh-TAH-tes), spread over the dirt floor.

Rural families may be poor, but they maintain a great sense of pride in themselves and their lifestyles. No one ever says they are poor; instead, they say they are humilde (hu-MIL-deh), or “humble.” Well-tended flower gardens brighten the front of even the smallest houses. Farmers prefer to follow the same working methods established by native ancestors living long before the Spanish conquerors.