Costa Rican Families and American Families

As well as Americans, the most important thing  for Costa Ricans is our family. We love our families so much. We like to spend time together and talk about our lives. I have been in The United States 3 months and I have realized that for most of American families it  is difficult to get together. Americans are very busy most of the time. Another interesting reason that makes it even more difficult for American families to gather is that sons usually move to another state when they start attending college. Young Americans become independent usually when they are 18. In Costa Rica, we don't become totally independent until we get our degree. Parents economically support us and help us to pay tuition for studying in college.

Another difference is that most of the time, Costa Ricans take care of their parents when they are seniors. Not necessarily the older son or daughter of the family has to do it; it can be any of the sons. Contrary to this, Americans are so independent and when they have their own family they usually don't take care of their parents in their homes.

In regard to divorce, I would say it is very common in Costa Rica. According to the article “Los divorcios suben y los matrimonios caen” (Divorces increase and marriages dicrease) published by the journalist José Enrique Rojas in the Costa Rican newspaper “La Nación”, the rates of divorce had increased during the past years. In 1985 the rate of divorce was of 12 divorces out of 100 marrriages. In 2007, it increased to 37 or 38 divorces out of 100 marrriages. In addition, there is a very interesting phenomenon in Costa Rica, while the rate of divorce increases, the rate of marriages dicreases. I have no idea which is the rate of divorce in The United States, but I supposed it is more common in my country. I asked an American if divorce is common in the U.S and she told me that now it is more common than in the past. In addition, she thinks that one of the main reason why American families are more instable now is because of the influence of the economic crisis in the U.S.