They stayed in Mexico long enough for little Christina to learn the culture that her mother was a part of. Flor wanted to have something that she could share with her daughter even when they moved to the United States later on. They moved so that Christina would have a more opportunity-filled life in the United States.
The first challenge that Flor ran into in the United States was trying to earn enough money to support her and her daughter. At first she was working two different jobs, but soon found out that wasn't going to work so well. Spanish-speaking Flor finally found a job, through her cousin, working as a maid for the Claskys, an English-speaking family. This presented a whole new set of challenges. Not only did Flor speak a different language than her employers, but they also had a very different set of values than her.
In Spanglish, the language barrier was just one of the minor challenges Flor and the Clasky's faced compared to the other conflicts that arose. Because the Clasky's were going to stay at a summerhouse during the summer, they wanted Flor to come with them. She explained to them, through an interpreter, that she couldn't go with them because she had to stay with her daughter.
In the end, she ended up giving in and unwillingly brought her daughter along with her to live with the Clasky's for the summer. Christina was welcomed and was treated like one of the family. She spoke English, so she could communicate directly with the Clasky's, while translating for her mother when needed.
One day, Mrs. Clasky borrowed Christina for a day, taking her shopping and getting highlights in her hair, all without asking for Flor's permission. Flor, possessing the values that she did, and holding her daughter as the most important thing that has happened to her, didn't think this was acceptable. She was furious because she felt that her most prized possession was being taken away from her. Mrs. Clasky didn't think it was such a big deal, and that's where their two cultures and values clashed.
Flor and Mrs. Clasky should have realized from the start that there would be problems because of the differences in their cultures and ethics. Mrs. Clasky was constantly insulting and putting down her own daughter because she didn't have the weight that Mrs. Clasky thought she should have. Flor, on the other hand, would never dream of treating her own daughter that way; Christina was everything in the world to her and she only wanted what was best for her.
The conflict results when Mrs. Clasky takes Christina out with her and starts treating her like the daughter she never had. Flor didn't think very highly of Mrs. Clasky in the first place, and this action lessened her opinion of her. If Flor had communicated the reasons she was reluctant to bring her daughter along with her for the summer, then Mrs. Clasky would have been more aware of the fact that Flor didn't want her daughter or the relationship she shared with her daughter to be obstructed in any way that would end up damaging Christina's future. They should have tried to understand each other's values and to try and prevent any disputes that would result from any misunderstandings.
When Flor moved to the US with her daughter, she had already learned a culture that was different than the one Mrs. Clasky had learned. When these two women were brought together, their ethical views clashed. The majority of the things that Mrs. Clasky did were more for the benefit of her own self than for others.
Flor on the other hand did the things she did more for the benefit of her daughter. She wanted her daughter to have the same cultural background as her, because that is what she believed was best for Christina. Throwing herself into new situations, Flor finds that it is harder to communicate with people because of language barriers and differences in values. All she wants to do is protect her daughter from becoming someone she doesn't know, but she gives in to the power of Mrs. Clasky and agrees to bring Christina along with her to work during the summer, even though she knew that wasn't what she really wanted for Christina.
She had to make a choice between giving up her job, or taking chances with Christina being around the Clasky's and their different ways. Although at first she chose the latter, she realized she needed to leave with her daughter. She knew that she didn't want her daughter to become like them; a stranger to her, and they left the Clasky's.
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