This story first appeared in UC Santa Barbara’s The Current.
When immigrant families are forced to live apart — as they search for better wages or schools, as they escape violence or political turmoil — communication across great distances is often the last thread holding them together.
Take, for example, the common occurrence of a parent leaving their spouse and children behind in their home country to stake out a better life for their family in the U.S. How family members work together to communicate and manage ups and downs can ease the burden of separation.