Periodically our readers ask us "why we chose to move to Ecuador". Well, a few days ago I accidentally stumbled upon this wonderful article which talks about family values of the Ecuadorians and it will give you a pretty fair idea of why we chose Ecuador. It's not the only reason, but it is one of the major reasons we chose Ecuador.
Equal parts family tradition and economic necessity, most grown children in Ecuador stay close to home
Living with one's parents until age 30 is not appealing to most North
Americans. At 18, many teenagers say goodbye and leave the nest.
Suddenly, a new life starts away from family, friends and everything one
has known until that point. This is a coming-of-age moment that most
U.S. and Canadian youth consider to be a given. But what is a custom for
North Americans is horrifying to Ecuadorians and other South American
families.
"I just turned 28 and still live with my mother and sisters," said
Lorena Torres, a Quito native. "It's weird to move out before you get
married here. Why live by yourself when you can be with family?"
The importance of family in Ecuador comes before all other things:
money, sleep, work. In many cases, brothers, sisters, cousins and
parents all live in the same building so they can be near one another.
When children go off to college, they live at home and commute every
day. Most universities do not even have dormitory facilities as an
option for students, and the idea of a child or sibling moving far away
for a job opportunity or a change of scenery is uncommon.
"My family would be so upset if I decided to go to college in the United
States," said Jorge Ramirez, a student at the University of San
Francisco-Quito. "Of course they want me to experience the world, but
moving out is not an option for me."
In the United States, the success and interests of each individual are
highly valued. An aspiring doctor may move away from small-town America
in order to pursue his or her dreams, and a struggling artist may move
to New York City to exercise his or her creativity with others who have
similar interests.
Many parents of college students understand and encourage the pursuit of
all opportunities, and children can feel trapped if forced to stay in
one place. The extent to which love is exhibited in American families is
very different from South America.
"When I graduate, I am moving straight to Barcelona to teach English,"
said Jessie Montalo, a student at Boston College. "(My parents) can't
wait to visit me."
Every day around 1:00 P.M., Ecuadorians leave their jobs and reunite
with their families for a large meal and pleasant conversation. This
time is built into everyone's daily schedule. "Family" consists of
immediate, extended, adopted, in-laws, second-cousins, half-sisters,
everyone. Houses are constantly filled with visitors stopping by, and
many homes have extra rooms for overnight family sleepovers.
"Nothing is more important than family here," said Marcia Amaquina
Logacho, an Ecuadorian culture professor at the University of San
Francisco – Quito. "Ecuadorians take pride in their country by taking
pride in their family. As long as the family is healthy and living, we
are happy. The idea of saving time in one's day for family is extremely
important. In the U.S., I feel like you try to do that, but it doesn't
always work out. Life is much more fast-paced and goal-oriented. But
here, it's part of the culture to include family in everything we do.
It's been ingrained in us for many centuries, and now it's a part of
life."
Logacho teaches foreign exchange students about the differences in
Ecuadorian culture in comparison to their own with an emphasis on
understanding the South American way of life. Her goal is not to teach
anyone that one culture is better than another, but to begin a dialogue
for students to compare and contrast freely, she said.
For Americans, familial love is shown through the encouragement and
pursuit of excellence and success, said Jamile Tellez, an Elon junior
studying abroad in Quito.
"After coming here and seeing the importance of family, it makes me
reconsider our relationship and interactions at home," she said. "I
think there may be a lot left to discover, and I can't wait to see them
again and show them how much I've changed."
Credit: By Katie Moran, for the Elon University campus newspaper, The Pendulum, http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/
Great article and great reason for moving to Ecuador! I'm getting closer every day...
ReplyDeleteWe think so too. Thanks for commenting...
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