hysterically during our interview. She reports that during her marriage in the United States, she

and her husband used to travel and make decisions together. In Pinula, the couple lives well: they

have built a fancy new home and she feels financially secure, yet she regrets their return to

Guatemala.

 In contrast, non-migrant wives report that their husbands often change after spending time

in the United States. These women say that their return spouses are more helpful and

appreciative of the wives' domestic work. One home-community wife felt that the United States

had been a school for her husband since he had to cook, clean, and take care of himself there.

Now, he does more household chores, and overall, she thinks he has become a better husband. In

spite of her assertions, I never observed the husband helping around the house, yet at this point

the couple was well-off financially and domestic duties were mostly performed by servants

under the direction of the wife.

 The following table illustrates a sample of migrant women and their reasons for returning

to Pinula. Return migrant women who did not wish to return report an unsatisfactory relationship

with their husbands. Two out of the three return migrant women self-report abusive relationships

and the third says that she rarely sees her husband and that their relationship has changed

significantly since their return. Return migrant women tended to dislike the United States for

various reasons. Ladina women missed the high status bestowed upon them in their hometowns

and the accompanying lifestyle. The return Maya woman enjoyed the money she was able to

earn in the United States but was forced to return in order to collect child support from her

adulterous husband. Although this chart reflects some Ladina women's preference for return,

interviews in the United States with Ladina women support research showing that women prefer

the United States as compared to men (Margolis 1994, 1998; Pessar 1995). As mentioned before,