I ask because this topic came up recently with my girlfriend. She's from Central America and moved here as a child with her family.
I went to Central America with her a couple times to visit her relatives and we had a great time. Everyone was full of energy and life, despite how hard it is to get by there. Her aunt explained that since things are so tough they spend their free time with family, having fun, partying, singing, dancing, etc.
At the time I lived in an American city that was about 50% Central Americans. When I returned home from Central America I noticed a huge difference in the demeanor of Central Americans in the States. They escaped hard lives to find new opportunities in the US, but that energy and life was gone from them. No singing, no dancing, and parties were more about just getting wasted. It was like living in the US was destroying their souls.
My girlfriend is the same way. She makes way more money than most people I know and is technically living a better life than in her home country, which was her and her family's goal when moving here…But the hustle is killing her. She's depressed and tired all the time. She won't admit it, but I think she was sold a lie.
Is this an accurate observation? How have your experiences been?