United States, which would further explain the lack of communication and the withholding of

remittances.

 Maria decided to mail her husband a video pleading her case. The video begins with her

introducing his sons (whom the husband had not seen since they were an infant and a toddler).

She goes on to praise him for the work he has done and the money he has sent:

 Pues, ellos ahorita estdn tomando este video para que usted se de cuenta donde estamos
 ya que esta es la casa donde estamos. Tal vez usted no se ha dado cuenta del trabajo, pero
 nosotros aqui este es el trabajo que nosotros hicimos y aqui se puede dar cuenta de cual es
 el trabajo que aqui estdn haciendo. Hay aqui Victor Manuel y Francisco, que tambikn son
 nuestros hijos y que ojald donde quiera que usted este ojald siempre se acuerde de
 nosotros y que en realidad nosotros aqui estamos con esa-esa tristeza que porque usted
 no ha venido que esperamos el dia que usted vengapara estar juntos aqui en nuestra casa,
 porque en realidad cuando usted estaba aqui no estaba bonito como estd ahorapero
 gracias a Di6s con el trabajo que usted ha hecho por alld pues nosotros hemos construido
 algo, y ese es el trabajo que nosotros hemos hecho por medio del dinero que usted ha
 mandado. Solo que nosotros pusimos tristes porque no lo vemos personalmente pero
 espero en Di6s que venga algun dia.

 They are taking this video so you know we are filming in the house. Maybe you have not
 noticed the work, but we are here and this is the work we have done and you may notice
 we have done it. Here is Victor Manuel and Francisco, who are also our kids and I hope
 that wherever you are I hope you remember us and in reality we here are sad because you
 have not returned, that we wait for the day that you return to be together here in our house
 because in reality when you were here it was not nice here as it is now, but thanks to God
 with the work you have done over there we have built something and that is the work we
 have done with the money that you have sent us. Only we got sad because we haven't seen
 you personally, but I have faith in God that you will come back.

 The next section demonstrates the inherent sentimentality of video, which is an advantage

over telephone communication when the intent of the sender is to re-establish an emotional

connection with the recipient. As Maria talks, she walks around the home showing the husband

what she has done with the money (money that was sent as an allowance and not specifically

meant for construction or investment), and how well she has managed it. She also shows him the

TV, their new electricity, and the bike they bought. As she talks about the bike, the son jumps on

it enthusiastically. Then she shows him the sewing machine, the fumigator (for her work on their