When teens graduate from high school their graduation dance, which is equivalent to the prom in America, the whole community is invited. The graduates are there having fun with their friends as well as their parents and grand parents. .
That brings me to another point, that elders are respected much more in Mexico than in the united sates. Here in the sates when people start to get older and cannot live by themselves the grown children put their parents in retirement or nursing homes. That kind of treatment is unheard of in Mexico. Grandparents are taken care of the children and live with them in their home if they are not able to live and take care of themselves. Togetherness is a huge part of the Mexican family lifestyle. Families in Mexico have family gatherings much more than American families do. I know American teens my age who do not even know some of their cousins or aunts and uncles. In Mexico families make it a point to see each other as often as possible. With my family in Mexico everyone gets together at least once a year no matter what, but my aunts and uncles who live close together in Mexico have gatherings maybe once a week or at least every two weeks. These family gatherings are a type of party that booth the parents, grandparents and kids are all having fun together. A person's family becomes their best friends. The best times of my life I have experienced with my family in Mexico and my cousins on that side, one in particular, are my best friends. On my American side of the family I have cousins that live about 10 minutes away and my grandma who lives about an hour away and our families hardly ever get together. I take it upon myself to go and visit my little cousins as much as possible and visit them about once a week. .
Also, in Mexico the community as a whole is a family. It is hard to explain but close friends become your brothers and sisters. I feel safe saying that the friends I have made in Mexico are better friends than my friends here in the states.