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parents had come to the U.S. was so the children could make their own
choices, according to many children. Four others said that it did
not matter to their parents. No one indicated that the parents had
made any vocational decisions for him or her.
17. Are you learning English? Thirty-four said "yes," four said,
"I think so," and two said, "of course."
18. What person helps you learn English the most? Twelve girls
said their cousins helped them the most. When asked what language they
most often spoke to their cousins, ten said Spanish, two English. When
asked to clarify, two said that since their cousins did not speak
Spanish, the girls had to speak English. Seven said they learned by
listening to their North American cousins speaking together. Three
said the cousins taught them words. Five girls and six boys said they
learned from watching TV. Four boys said they learned from talking to
neighbors. The eight boys who played on the sports teams said they were
the only Cubans, so they had to speak English. One said he went to the
store where his brother worked and watched the people.
Parent interviews
Four parents participated in the interviews. These parents had
a total of five children in the research group. One father and mother
were a married couple, the other man and woman were unrelated. All
four were employed. Only one of the four, a mother, was studying
English.
All parents evidenced a strong concern for their children. All stated
it was difficult to come for an interview because of their work schedules.
One father left work during lunch, a mother walked five long blocks to