The movie has to do with 2 families: the Clasky household, a reach American family, and their mexican housemaid Flor with her child. Flor has actually transferred to the US in attempt to make a life much better for her daughter Christina, she strives, however when her child grow older she needs to change her task in order to spend more time with her. Though after all the years invested in the United States she still does not speak English, she finds a job at the Claskys.
The distinctions between 2 cultures, American and Hispanic, are understood through the entire movie. There are a great deal of cross-cultural encounters in the film, due to the fact that it follows two families with really different cultural background. the image of the households is rather stereotypical: the american household is abundant, they live in a huge house with a pool in a suburban area, they have two kids and seem to be effective.
Deborah, the partner, is a fitness manic, consumed with her look.
She believes that issues can be resolved with the aid of books and manuals, this is quite stereotypical, due to the fact that Americans seem to have guides for everything. It is a common belief that life can be quickly improved and one just need to follow some directions to do it. On the contrary, Flor with her child, who illegally immigrated to the US in search of a much better life, deal with their loved ones in a little flat in Mexican block.
she needs to work hard, day and night to get some money for her family and the fact that she lives in the US for some time, however does no understand English at all is likewise a . Another stereotype can be observed when John Clasky expresses his sensations openly to Flor, when he offers her a lift, she thinks that he acts more like a woman, however in fact American men tend to be more open and let their feelings go outside.
The film is plentiful in cultural things “Dean of Admissions”, SAT, “National Benefit Scholarship“, admissional essay at the pleading of the film when the matter concerns Princeton University which Christina wishes to enter. President Hoover and vacuum “Hoover” are pointed out when John Clasky speaks to his daughter and tries to comfort her. Mom Theresa, , White America, double gulp are connected to American culture and history and were discussed in the movie.
Despite the fact that the film is full of different cultural things and stereotypes, the main point is at the very end. When Christina behaves just like an American person and tells her mother that she needs some space, these words upset her mother, who wants her daughter to be Spanish. Christina has to choose: to be like her mother or to adopt American culture, but she is bilingual and because of this she is able to communicate within two cultures. She values and respects both cultures, but prefers to stay with her family and she is proud of that choice.