Children from rural Mexico may frequently feel uncomfortable in the American classroom environment. For starters, students may have grown up playing only with their siblings and cousins.

if a student is attending an American school for the first time, it may also be the first time he or she is surrounded by a different culture, language, food, and set of expectations for behavior. This can make a child feel very nervous, out of place, or shy.

the definition of a good education, or una buena educación, held by Mexican parents is far more comprehensive than the dominant American definition of a good education. For Mexican parents, the term una buena educación is a term used to refer to the broad education of a child rather than the solely the schooling of a child. In fact, the term in Spanish meaning “well-educated” is synonymous with the term ser gente decente, or “to be a good person.” A good education serves as the foundation for all other learning and instills in children a sense of moral, social, and personal responsibility. This includes teaching a child how to treat elders with respect, behave properly, and become a person of good moral standing.